2012 BRIT Awards: Best British Album Odds and Betting Preview - Penalty kick for Adele?

LONDON, UK - Adele, fresh from completing a clean sweep of six awards at the Grammys earlier this month, is heavily-fancied to inflict more damage to the bookies at tomorrow night’s BRIT Awards in London. She is the hot favourite to win arguably the most coveted awards of the night - the Mastercard British Album of the Year.

Last year was all about Tinie Tempah and Arcade Fire in terms of the awards, but Adele certainly made a huge impression with an emotional rendition of Someone Like You, which went straight to the top spot in the chart the following weekend, managing to beat Lady GaGa. It is strange to think that Adele’s last BRIT Award was a Critics’ Choice back in 2008, but she was nominated for three the following year and has a further three nominations this year, including in the Best British Album category.

Adele’s 21 is the best-selling album this century in the UK, and hit the top spot in no less than 26 countries, such is the appeal of the Tottenham-born singer. Punters can back it to win the Best British Album at odds of 1/10 with Betfred and Bet Victor, although at that price you have to bet £100 just to make £10 profit, because the bookies believe that she is in a league of her own. At the Grammys she won the Album, Record and Song of the Year, which were available to back at 11/8, 2/1 and evens with Ladbrokes ahead of Bruno Mars and Mumford & Sons, but on this occasion she is much shorter in the markets.

Adele is set to perform Set Fire To The Rain at the awards ceremony, the third track released from 21, and it would be no surprise to see the single storm up the singles chart once again if she nails it. The good news for favourite-backers is that Mumford & Sons landed the odds last year in this category, having been available at 1/4 with Sky Bet.

The second favourite to win Best British Album are Coldplay with Mylo Xyloto, who can be backed at best odds of 12/1 with Paddy Power. The Irish firm clearly think that Adele will win as they are shortest on the favourite at 1/20, but Coldplay would not be the biggest shock of all time. They are set to perform Paradise and Charlie Brown from the album, and their opening performance promises to spectacular as organisers have been spending hours trying to make sure the pyrotechnics are safe. They have won six BRIT Awards in total from 17 nominations, and they are also up for Best British Group. Look out for them performing Princess of China with Rihanna, which is also from the album, and could re-enter the singles chart if they team up well.

Third in the betting is Ed Sheeran with +, from which he has released songs such as Lego House and The A Team. + can be backed at 16/1 with Ladbrokes, but Sheeran is expected to get compensation in the British Breakthrough Act category. + certainly has not been as successful as Adele’s 21 and the next single to be released from it is Drunk, which comes out next Monday.

Also at 16/1 is Florence and The Machine with Ceremonials, and the price is with Sporting Bet, although the album is generally at 12/1 elsewhere. When the betting opened up in January, Sky Bet made Ceremonials a 6/1 chance, but it has been weak in the betting with all the momentum now gathering behind Adele. Florence Welch’s band does have a good record at the BRIT Awards though, having scooped Critics’ choice in 2009 before winning Best Album the following year with Lungs.

The outsider of the five nominees is Let England Shake, which is by PJ Harvey. Last year it beat off the likes of Adele and Tinie Tempah for the Mercury Prize, but despite being widely-acclaimed by the critics, it only peaked at number eight in the UK album charts.

The 2012 BRIT Awards are on Tuesday 21 February at the O2 Arena in London. The ceremony is live on ITV1 from 8.00pm.

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