Welsh vocalist Duffy was the big winner at the 2009 BRIT Awards, taking home three trophies tonight (Feb. 18) at London’s Earls Court. Duffy, whose debut album, "Rockferry" (A&M/Universal), was the U.K’s top seller in 2008, won BRITS for British female, British breakthrough act and British album.

Collecting her first award for British female, she commented, "It’s a good job my mother didn’t have a boy." She beat rivals M.I.A., Adele, Beth Rowley and Estelle in that category.

For her final award, for British album, Duffy was tearful as she accepted it from fellow Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones. She also performed "Warwick Avenue" at the ceremony.

The awards show, aired live on ITV1, was opened by U2 performing its new single "Get on Your Boots." Bono sang on a platform in front of a giant screen showing images of the British union flag and the Irish flag.

Nashville rock band Kings Of Leon won the international group award as well as the international album BRIT for "Only by the Night" (Hand Me Down/Sony Music Entertainment). The current Billboard cover stars acknowledged the importance of the British market to their success.

"Thank you, God, thank you, mom, thank you U.K.," drummer Nathan Followill told the audience. "Without y’all, we would be nothing." "If it weren’t for England, Kings Of Leon wouldn’t be a band right now," added singer and guitarist Caleb Followill.

Elbow was something of a surprise in the British group category, beating Coldplay, whose "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Parlophone/EMI) was the biggest global seller of 2008, according to the IFPI, with sales of 6.8 million.

Katy Perry beat Beyonce, Gabriella Cilmi, Pink and Santigold for the international female award. The Virgin/EMI recording artist also hinted that she had been tipped off about her win. "I’m so sick right now," she told the cheering crowd. "But they said I should show up to the BRITS because something special might happen."

The British single award, decided by mobile phone voting, was won by girl group Girls Aloud for "The Promise" (Fascination/Polydor).

The ceremony was presented by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue and comedy actor James Corden. Reformed boy band Take That performed on a UFO-style platform above the crowd, which then descended into the middle of the room. Other performers included Girls Aloud, Coldplay (who went home empty-handed) and rock duo the Ting Tings with Estelle.

The Pet Shop Boys received the outstanding contribution to music honor, and were duo was joined by Lady GaGa and the Killers’ Brandon Flowers during their closing performance.

Source: Billboard.com

Regardless of genre, retail sales or radio play, each of the 20 acts on the moneymakers list toured last year. For almost all of them, touring generated the most revenue. And in a year when recorded-music sales declined yet again, many earned more at the box office than ever before.

Madonna was No. 1 on the list with $242.2 million. She had the 50th-best-selling album in the country and ranked 14th on the list of digital track sellers — but had the highest-earning 2008 tour.

Madonna was followed on the moneymakers list by Bon Jovi with $157.2 million, Bruce Springsteen ($156.3 million), the Police ($110 million), Celine Dion ($99.2 million), Kenny Chesney ($90.8 million), Neil Diamond ($82.2 million), Rascall Flatts ($63.5 million), Jonas Brothers ($62.6 million) and Coldplay ($62.2 million).

The top-five moneymakers are also the five acts that earned the most on tour, and in the same order, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Those questioning whether Madonna rates the reported 10-year, $120 million multi-rights deal with concert promoter Live Nation might reconsider. Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour took in $229.9 million at the box office, although the extravagant production might have cost up to 40% of that gross, according to industry estimates. The margin is much better on tour merchandise, where Madonna probably raked in more than $18 million in sales, not counting her licensing business.

Of course, nothing helps reduce tour production costs like more touring. So Madonna will perform another run of concerts this summer — 25 shows in the U.K. and Europe — which will add to the take of the top-grossing tour by a female or solo artist.

Outside of the U.K., all of Madonna’s concerts will be in stadiums, so she’ll gross several million dollars per night. By fall, Sticky & Sweet will have run for 80 shows and earned a place in the top-five grossing tours in history.

More on Madonna
Source: Reuters

Source: The Star.ca

Her manager, Bradford Cobb, isn’t worried. While album sales offer a bigger boost to the bottom line, he believes that Perry shouldn’t be painted as a two-hit wonder.
"’Thinking of You’ will be the tipping point that gets people to buy the whole album," he says. "It will show the depth and range she has as an artist. I’m comfortable with people discovering Katy at their own pace."
Throughout her career, Perry has proved resilient. At 15, she recorded a gospel album, which promptly disappeared after the label folded. She tried again at 17, working with Glen Ballard on an album for Island Def Jam, which also went nowhere. Finally, she signed to Columbia in 2004, hoping the third time would be the charm.
It wasn’t. But the Columbia deal started Perry on her current path. "Columbia was never really willing to embrace Katy’s vision," Cobb says. "They were not willing to let her drive. Here was this ambitious young woman with a clear picture of who she was and the willingness to work hard, and Columbia just wouldn’t put her in the driver’s seat."
One of Columbia’s ideas was to pair her with production team the Matrix to serve as the female vocalist for their album. When that situation didn’t pan out, Perry started recording a solo album. But before it was completed, Columbia put on the brakes.
"Eighty percent of the record was done, and Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her," Cobb says. "We got the masters back and then started looking for a new home."
Noting that none of its executives who worked with Perry are with the company any longer, Columbia declined to comment.

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