Britain's got talent at the Grammys.

Historic contingent of UK acts tipped for success at US awards ceremony

By Paul Williams

A UK ARTIST IS GUARANTEED TO WIN the record of the year category at next February's Grammy Awards after British acts claimed every nominations place for the first time ever.

The clean sweep by Adele (Chasing Pavements), Coldplay (Viva La Vida), Leona Lewis (Bleeding Love), MIA (Paper Planes) and Robert Plant (Please Read The Letter, with Alison Krauss) marks the high point of what represents one of the strongest shortlist showings by UK talent in the 51-year history of the awards, with the other three main categories also packed with British talent.

"It's great for the UK business," says EMI UK international vice president Kevin Brown, whose company's signings Coldplay claim seven nominations in total, a tally beaten only by US rapper Lil' Wayne.

UK acts occupy three of the five places for album of the year with Coldplay's Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, which has topped 2m sales Stateside, nominated alongside Robert Plant & Alison Krauss's Raising Sand and Radiohead's In Rainbows, while the song of the year category has a British contingent in Estelle's hit American Boy, Adele and Eg White's Chasing Pavements and the Coldplay song Viva La Vida. Adele is also nominated as best new artist, as is Duffy.

"This is fantastic recognition after all these years that British artists have reached a new level. I'm excited for British music and what it can do around the globe," says Universal UK international vice president Hassan Choudhury, whose act Duffy also has nominations for best female pop vocal performance (Mercy) and best pop vocal album (Rockferry).