FOR many The BRITS awards is the music event of the year. But do you know who is tipped for a gong this year? Did you know that it wasn't always called the BRITS? And do you remember what was, ahem, "behind" that Jarvis Cocker incident? Clutching her award and weeping into her four-hour long speech, Nicola Mostyn brings you the low down on the spectacle that is The BRITS.

AND the winner is... A look at the some of the most sought after awards and the nominees past and present

British Male Solo

And the nominees are: Badly Drawn Boy, Craig David, David Gray, The Streets and the ubiquitous Robbie Williams

Favourite: Robbie Williams

We say: Haven't we all had enough of King Robbie by now? Give it to The Streets

Remember when: George Michael picked up the award in 1997, Phil Collins won it a staggering three times in 1986, 1989 and 1990 and Robbie won it in 1999, 2001 and 2002. Enough already.

British Female Solo

And the nominees are: Sophie Ellis Bexter, Ms Dynamite, Beverley Knight, Alison Moyet, Beth Orton

Favourite: Ms Dynamite

We say: Of course Ms Dynamite will win it. But what the bejaysus is Alison Moyet doing in there?

Remember when: Alison Moyet won it in 1985 and 1988, Lisa Stansfield triumphed back in 1991 and 1992 and Annie Lennox muscled out the opposition, scooping the award in 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993 and 1996. Blimey, give the other girls a chance, Annie!

British Album

And the nominees are: Coldplay, Ms Dynamite, The Coral, The Streets, Sugababes

Favourite: Coldplay

We say: Chris Martin must be smug enough dating Gwynnie, give it to Ms Dynamite.

Remember when: The Verve won in 1998 with Urban Hymns, Blur won in 1995 with Parklife, Dire Straits won in 1987 for Brothers In Arms and The Beatles grasped the gong in 1977 for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band

Best British Single

And the nominees are: Atomic Kitten for Tide is High, Gareth Gates, twice, For Any one of us and Unchained Melody, Liberty X for Just A Little Bit, and Pop Idol Will Young for Evergreen

Favourite: Liberty X

We say: We don't mind Liberty X but if Gareth wins we'll leave the country. Or cry. Or something.

Remember when: Culture Club won with Karma Chameleon in 1984, a bouffanted Rick Astley won with Never Gonna Give You Up in 1988 and Take That swung a hat trick in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

Best Breakthrough Act

And the nominees are: Liberty X, Ms Dynamite, The Coral, The Streets, Will Young

Favourite: Ms Dynamite

We say: Exactly how is Will Young a breakthrough?

Remember when: Kula Shaker won in 1997, Beverley Craven in 1992, Betty Boo in 1991, and the Human League in 1982.

Outstanding Contributions

And the nominees are: Tom Jones

Favourite: Rumour has it that Tom Jones might snatch it out of the hands of, erm, Tom Jones

We say: Keep shakin' those hips and tanning yourself orange, Tom. Remember when Queen won in 1990, the Beegees won in 1997 and the Spice Girls joined the fogey brigade by scooping it in 2000

A brief history of The BRITS

The Brits began way back in 1977, named the British Record Industry Britannia Centenary Awards, staged to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee, when artists such as Jacqueline du Pre, Cliff Richard and George Martin received a Britannia. In 1982 the awards were re-launched as The British Record Industry Awards and in 1989 they were renamed to sound a bit more funky - The BRIT Awards was born.

Finest moments

In 1994 Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox took to the stage and embarked upon a truly shambolic stint as presenters. Not only were they so mismatched in height that they were operating in different time zones, but they were both criminally inept at the job in hand. Autocues were misread, cues disregarded, there were more awkward silences than you could poke a mic and pretty much everything went wrong. The nation buried their heads behind cushions and prayed for it to be over.

In 1996 Michael Jackson appeared as a kind of Jesus figure, descending from above, dressed in white and surrounded by children. Pulp front man. Jarvis Cocker was so drunkenly incensed by Jackson's Jehova impression he quickly legged it onstage and wiggled his bum at the crowd, echoing the feelings of the nation and getting himself dragged off by security. Thus it came to be that Cocker, and not Jacko, secured himself as a God amongst men.

1998 New Labour were trying to get with the kids and Cool Britannia ruled. Hence deputy PM John Prescott was at the Brits with his wife. Unfortunately for him so were political upstarts Chumbawamba and frontman Danbert Nobacon decided to make a statement by chucking a bucket of cold water over the MP, drenching him. Host Ben Elton, revealed how age has withered his staunch political beliefs by branding them "a bunch of tatty old troublemakers". Fishing for a knighthood, Ben?

Past Hosts

This year's awards will be presented by Davina McCall who, much as we love her, is in danger of being overexposed. Below are some past presenters, not all of whom, for various reasons, have held on to their popularity...

1985: Noel Edmunds

1987: Jonathan King

1993: Richard O'Brien

1997 and 1998: Ben Elton

1999: Johnny Vaughan

2001: Ant and Dec

2002 Frank Skinner and Zoe Ball