Brit Awards Betting: Best Group

Take That looking to pulverise some Monkeys...

The odds: Take That (5/6), Arctic Monkeys (5/4), Kaiser Chiefs (10/1), Girls Aloud (14/1), Editors (20/1)

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When L Ron Hubbard made up Scientology in 1952, he would surely never have predicted that the world's leading Hollywood star would seriously buy into it, and be found making no sense whatsoever in a bizarre internet blabber over fifty years later. He must be chuckling in his grave, or spaceship or whatever. Still, stranger things have happened - like Take That being nominated for Best Band at the Brits. Who'd have thought that would happen a couple of years back? Certainly not Mr Williams from Stoke on Trent...

Take That
Take That won Best Single last year - for Patience - so will be looking to emulate the Pet Shop Boys, who last won Best British Single in 1987 (for West End Girls), and then went on to win the Best Group prize the following year. Now seen as a mature man-band rather than a fat gentleman and his dancing friends, they should benefit from the fact that no band has ever won twice in a row - their closest rivals, the Arctic Monkeys, won the thing last year.

Arctic Monkeys
Last year the Sheffield four-piece won Best Group to sit alongside their British Breakthrough act gong from 2006. Only one act has ever gone from winning the breakthrough award to nabbing two serious awards as well - Lisa Stansfield (Breakthrough Act 1990; Best Female 1991, 1992). Their heavy riffs and sideways glancing humour all feels very 2007 already. It might be a bridge too far for the lads.

Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs will also be looking to become only the fifth group ever to win two Best Group awards at the Brits (Simply Red, 1992, 1993; Manic Street Preachers, 1997, 1999; Travis, 2000, 2002; Coldplay, 2001, 2003), but seem unlikely to pip the Arctic Monkeys if a guitar band are to win the prize. Their second album - Yours Truly, Angry Mob - didn't enjoy the same critical success as Employment. "I've made two bad records. The first record, which is awful, and 'The Great Escape', which was messy. Kaisers' new record sounds a bit like The Great Escape in that it sounds a bit empty," honked Damon from Blur.

Girls Aloud
Every single winning group in history has involved a man on lead vocals, with the possible exception of Five Star (1987). That looks unlikely to change with the inclusion of a girl band. On the upside for Girls Aloud, Cheryl Tweedy did win sexiest female at the Virgin Media awards, so every cloud etc...

Editors
Without being nominated for the Best Album, it would appear impossible for this indie rabble from Birmingham to be there for any other reason than to scoff some mini-cheeseburgers and drown themselves in complimentary champers. They should enjoy the party with no fear of having to do any public speaking. No chance.