Paloma Faith celebrated her long hard slog to the top of the British music by giving a proper acceptance speech.

Paloma Faith
(Yui Mok/PA)

Although short and sweet speeches seem to be de-rigeur at the 02 this evening, Paloma said she wanted to make the most of her moment – 14 years in the making.

The tearful singer collected the award for British female solo artist at the third time of trying.

She said: “I’m so moved, it’s been a long time coming, I’m a big fan of Tracey Emin, I’m a big fan of women all over the world and it’s taken me 14 years to stand up here and accept this award and it means so much to me”.

The self-confessed “bumbling wreck” dedicated her award to “all the underdogs and all the grafters”.

And it went down a treat.

She explained that during her career she’d been arrested twice – for putting up gig posters – a massive contrast to the official posters she saw of herself around the tube on the way to tonight’s awards show.

The Cant’ Rely On You singer said she was was going to be “gobby” in contrast to the people who collect lots of awards and who hadn’t said very much.