Back in the halcyon days most of us only knew him from Britain’s Got Talent.
This year’s Brit Awards will take place on Wednesday 20 February, airing live from 8pm on ITV.
14 Surprising Brit Awards Winners
Dexy's Midnight Runners (1983)(01 of14)
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If you're like us, you'll associate Come On Eileen with watching through your fingers while your aunties dance around at a family wedding.
However, in 1983, the Dexy's Midnight Runners hit was named Best British Single, over Irene Cara's Fame and Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger (both of which are also family wedding staples, to be fair). (credit:EUGENE ADEBARI/REX Shutterstock)
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (1988)(02 of14)
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Come On Eileen isn't the only 80s cringe-fest to have previously been named the greatest British song of the entire year, though, with Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up also getting the award in 1988.
Rick beat Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin and T'Pau's China In Your Hand for the accolade. (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)
Laura Marling (2011)(03 of14)
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Back in 2011, the question was whether it would be Cheryl Cole, Ellie Goulding or then-newcomer Paloma Faith taking home the Best British Female award at the Brits.
It turned out that none of them did, and it was outsider Laura Marling who was given the gong. And doesn't she look thrilled about it? (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)
Mick Hucknall (1993)(04 of14)
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Mick Hucknall's win was doubly surprising when you take into account that he beat competition from Eric Clapton, George Michael, Sir Elton John and Phil Collins to win Best British Male.
And yes, that's Richard O'Brien of Crystal Maze and Rocky Horror fame in the background who, for some reason, was the host that year. (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)
One Direction (2013)(05 of14)
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1D having a Brit Award isn't exactly beyond the real of possibility (they actually have seven in total), but many were a little alarmed in 2013, when the Global Success category appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and was mysteriously won by the boyband. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)
Harry Styles (2018)(06 of14)
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Again, it's not necessarily a massive surprise that Harry Styles has a Brit Award, he is after all one of the most famous singers in the world.
But what we are a little shocked by was that his first ever solo Brit would be in the Video Of The Year category, for his (slightly ropey) Sign Of The Times video. A credit to the power of the Directioners, who voted in their droves for Harry to bag the award. (credit:PYMCA via Getty Images)
Finley Quaye (1998)(07 of14)
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Now, no offence to Finley Quaye. We're sure he's a lovely man. But we have to be honest, we'd not actually heard of him before we discovered he was a Brit Award winner.
Finley was crowned British Male Solo Artist over Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Paul Weller back in 1998, when apparently white on white on yellow on white was all the rage. (credit:Rex Shutterstock)
Shaggy (2002)(08 of14)
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True, It Wasn't Me wasn't exactly an underground track (it was the UK's 11th best-selling song of the 2000s, after all), but with nominees for Best International Male including Bob Dylan and Dr Dre, we can't help but feel that Shaggy's win was a surprising one. (credit:Richard Young/REX Shutterstock)
All the Best British Single nominees (2006)(09 of14)
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Coldplay won Best British Single for Speed Of Sound in 2006.
But then they'd have to, wouldn't they? Because look what they were up against: Shayne Ward's That's My Goal. Tony Christie's Is This The Way To Amarillo?. And James Blunt's You're Beautiful.
If you look closely, you'll see Madonna in the bottom-right corner of this picture, whispering (we can only assume): "It should have been Sugababes." (credit:Paul Grover/REX Shutterstock)
Braveheart (1996)(10 of14)
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Braveheart cleaned up at awards season upon its release, but did you know this included scooping a Brit?
The Mel Gibson epic beat Muriel's Wedding and Batman Forever to the Best Soundtrack gong in 1996. (credit:SNAP/REX Shutterstock)
Duffy (2009)(11 of14)
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With an earworm hit single like Mercy, it was inevitable that Welsh singer Duffy would bag herself a handful of Brit Awards, but who'd have thought she'd have pipped Adele to the award in 2009? (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)
Lemar (2004)(12 of14)
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Like Duffy, no one's saying that Lemar didn't deserve his Best British Urban Act prize... but it does mean that a category exists where Lemar from Fame Academy was crowned winner over Amy literal Winehouse. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)
A1 (2001)(13 of14)
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A1 were named Best British Breakthrough Act in 2001 over Craig David, Coldplay and Artful Dodger.
Once again for the cheap seats at the back: A1 were named Best British Breakthrough Act in 2001 over Craig David, Coldplay and Artful Dodger.
Here's what they wore to the event. Good grief. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)
Status Quo (1991)(14 of14)
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Status Quo perhaps wouldn't be top of the list of artists we'd guess had been given the Outstanding Contribution To Music award, but looking at those smiling faces, who could possibly argue? (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)