Mumford & Sons win best British group Brit Award

Ted Dwane, Marcus Mumford, Winston-Marshall and Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons attend the Brit Awards 2013 at the 02 Arena (Getty Images)

Mumford & Sons can further chart success after being named best British group at the Brit Awards 2013 two years after missing out on the prize when they were previously shortlisted.

It was the band's second Brit win, having collected the best album prize in 2011.

Frontman Marcus Mumford said: "Thanks very much indeed. We weren't expecting that. I don't think we've really taken the opportunity to thank people who have come to our gigs.

"We were in a group with Muse and One Direction, so it's a surprise."

The best British breakthrough prize went to Ben Howard, who was last year nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Collecting the prize from Radio 1 breakfast show host Nick Grimshaw, Howard said: "I'm not very good at speeches. I'm not very good at dancing."

And thanking his mother, he said: "She's rung a lot of old friends to ask them to vote for this."

Ceremony host Corden chatted to members of heartthrob boy band One Direction between performances and teased singer Harry Styles about his reputation for being drawn to older women.

"We've got Sharon Osbourne and Annie Lennox here tonight - who've you got your eye on?" Corden asked.

Robbie Williams, who has landed more Brits than any other artist after collecting 17 as a solo star and member of Take That, was also among performers as he sang his hit Candy.

Mumfords' win follows their success at the Grammys last week which resulted in their second album Babel topping the Billboard 200 chart.

Babel won the coveted Album of the Year prize at the Grammy awards on 10 February and subsequently sold 185,000 copies according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

PA/Reuters