Brit Awards: Emeli Sande and Adele win

Adele, Emeli Sande and Ben Howard have been honoured at this year's Brit Awards ceremony at London's O2 Arena.

Sande won best British female and British album, while Howard scooped best British male and breakthrough.

Adele won best single for her James Bond theme Skyfall - but she was not at the event, instead choosing to rehearse for the Oscars in Los Angeles.

She sent a video message referring to last year's ceremony, when her best album acceptance speech was cut short.

"Thank you so much for this Brit Award, it means a lot," she said.

"Sorry I can't be with you tonight, I'm in LA rehearsing for the Oscars. I won't keep you too long because I don't want to interrupt the best album speech at the end of the night. But I love you all."

The night's other performers included Robbie Williams, Muse, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake.

Comedian James Corden returned as host this year and used his opening routine to make light of cutting short Adele's speech in 2012.

Referring to a US awards show in 2009, he introduced Taylor Swift as a "global superstar who was once famously interrupted at an award ceremony".