MUSICIANS with connections to the county won recognition as the cream of the British music industry at the Brit Awards on Wednesday night.

Former Dover school girl Joss Stone won two accolades, including Best British Female Artist, at the ceremony at Earls Court, London.

Soul singer Joss, who was born in Dover and went to St Mary's Primary School in the town, beat Amy Winehouse, Jamelia, Natasha Bedingfield and PJ Harvey to take the top female award.

She was then also named as Best British Urban Act, beating Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia, Lemar and The Streets. That category was voted for by MTV Base viewers.

During the ceremony, Joss sang her latest single Right To Be Wrong, backed by a gospel choir, and later performed a duet with Robbie Williams, singing his song Angels, which was voted the best british song of the past 25 years.

She told the audience: "I don't know what to say. I'd like to thank my family for being really supportive and everybody that made my record with me. I don't even know what to do right now. Thank you all you guys for voting for me."

Despite being just 17-years-old, Joss has taken the music world by storm with her singing and has been described as the new Aretha Franklin.

She has already had a number one album and has been nominated for three categories at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles this Sunday, as well as one category at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards later this month.

There was also a double success for the band Keane.

The former Tonbridge School pupils beat off competition from the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Natasha Bedingfield, as well as Joss Stone, to be named best British breakthrough act. The trio went on to scoop the award for best British album with their top-selling debut record, Hopes and Fears.

Having been criticised in some sections of the music press for their mild, guitar-less rock music, the band were noticeably overwhelmed as they received the awards and accepted the recognition.

Singer Tom Chaplin said: "We’re a bit shocked to be standing up here. A lot of people don’t think it’s cool that we have the guts to just be who we are."

And the band went on to prove that you can never be too nice to rock, with an emotional version of their single, Everything Changes, in front of an audience crammed full of stars from the British pop scene.

Formed in 1997, the trio originally named themselves after a friend of the singer's family, Cherry Keane, before deciding to cut down to the catchier Keane - the name for which they are now known worldwide.