Labels Look For Brit Sales Boost

The record companies are hoping this year’s Brit Awards will generate another £4 million in sales, according to a report in The Guardian.

The figure is based on this year’s sales following the same trend as 2007, when the first live broadcast of the event was believed to have produced a 25 percent spike in album sales over a six-week period and brought in that extra £4 million.

Take That and Arctic Monkeys – two of the big winners from 2007 – and the acts featured on the show are said to have outperformed the market by a factor of nine to one.

The Guardian report says Brits nominees and performers saw a sales lift of 82 percent, with nine artists, including Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Orson, The Killers and outstanding contribution winners Oasis, more than doubling their sales.

Snow Patrol, which ended the night empty-handed as far as awards were concerned, saw its album sales rocket 121 percent in the weeks after the awards.

This year’s show, which was at Earls Court on February 20th, was hosted by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne and was expected to attract a live audience of more than 10,000.

The Osbournes presented the show from two thrones, the centrepieces of a mansion-style set, apparently designed to look like The Addams Family’s home.

With Take That, Mika and Leona Lewis among the most-nominated artists, this year’s Brit Awards was billed as marking the return of pop.

Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys and Take That each took home two awards, with Take That winning best live act and best single. Mika was named breakthrough act and Kate Nash won for female solo artist.

Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Kylie Minogue and Rihanna were among those who performed, with Paul McCartney closing the show after accepting the outstanding contribution award.

"Doctor Who" star David Tennant and "Lord of the Rings" actor Ian McKellen were among the celebrities presenting the gongs.