The 2010 BRIT Awards take place on 16 February and will be screened live on ITV1. As ever, the bookies have priced up the nominees according to their theoretical chances of winning an award.

Duffy made waves in the betting last year as she scooped a total of three awards: British Breakthrough, Best Female Solo and Best British Album. Winning multiple awards on the same night is eminently possible, and has been done by the likes of Coldplay and Oasis in the past.

Therefore it may be a sound betting strategy to support your favourite group or singer across a range of markets.

JLS are the 6/4 favourites to win Best British Single for ‘Beat Again’, but will have to fight off competition from Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight For This Love’ which is a 15/8 chance with Bet365. 2009 was a good year for genres such as R&B and hip hop, but the likes of Taio Cruz and N-Dubz aren’t given much of a chance at odds of 20/1 each.

JLS could also cap off a great night with the Best Group award, but Kasabian are the hot favourites at 5/6 in that betting market.

Nevertheless many pundits believe that this year’s Brit Awards will be a night dominated by the ladies. Lady GaGa, Florence and the Machine, Pixie Lott and Alexandra Burke all have nominations and solid chances respectively.

Florence and the Machine is strongly fancied in the Best Album market at 2/5 and could also take Best Female Artist at 9/4. Singer Florence Welch won Best Breakthrough Act last year, and has already received plenty of critical acclaim.

Paddy Power are best-priced at 2/7 about Lady GaGa winning Best International Female Artist - in what looks like a one horse race.

bookies.com is your best bet when it comes to comparing odds between the leading bookmakers:

British Male Solo Artist Betting

British Female Solo Artist Betting

Best Group Betting

British Breakthrough Act Betting

British Album Betting

British Single Betting

International Male Solo Artist Betting

International Female Solo Artist Betting

International Album Betting

International Breakthrough Act Betting

NME Awards Betting

We should be perhaps covering the Champions League this week, but at bookies.com we thought that we’d turn to matters more pressing…

Cheryl ‘Tweedy’ Cole (pictured) is Paddy Power’s 4/6 favourite in the betting for the 2009 FHM Sexiest Poll. She finished 7th in 2008, but we’re not sure that she should be such a short price.

The 25 year old is statistically up against it - only 2 out of the last 10 winners were in her age category. The under 23s have a fair record - 5 wins. Punters should really focus on the candidates between the ages of 20 and 23.

Last year’s laureate Megan Fox is also a short price at 5/4. She is 22 years old and has been tipped up as the next Lara Croft; but she doesn’t like to be acknowledged as a sex symbol.

2001 was the last year that the sexiest woman defended her crown - Jennifer Lopez. This year she is an unconsidered 80/1.

Unfortunately Paddy Power aren’t offering any each way terms, but Olga Kurylenko may still be good value at 10/1.

Ольга Костянтинівна Куриленко is clearly Ukranian, and made her name in the latest Bond film - Quantum of Solace. 

Bond fans may want to check out the market on the Next Bond Girl. Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) is the 3/1 favourite.  

Finally a gem of a quote from 12/1 Keeley Hazell:

If I’m swimming in a pool and my bikini pops off, I’m not bothered and carry on.

The betting usually gets these polls pretty much spot-on, so any late market moves could prove significant.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing odds for specials markets.

FHM 100 Sexiest Women Betting

Poet Laureate Betting

Eurovision Betting

BAFTAs Betting

Odds of 14/1 on the Queen to abdicate are shocking, it should be greater than 100/1! That said, Paddy Power are also running several specials, and have reminded us of what you could’ve got last year if you had lumped on:

8/11      Spice Girls were the first band to split

8/11      Mucca walked away with less than £50million of Paul McCartney’s fortune

15/8      Lewis Hamilton was crowned 2008 F1 champion

5/1        Team GB won more than 12 gold medals at the Olympics

11/2      Barack Obama was elected the 44^th US President

6/1        Madonna and Guy Ritchie were the first celebrity couple to file for divorce

12/1      Peaches Geldof was the first singleton to get married

18/1      Ibiza was Wayne Rooney’s chosen stag weekend destination

If you were pressing me to take one of Skybet’s specials, I’d probably take 10/1 about Chris Moyles being sacked from Radio 1. He has been on thin ice for a while now, and who knows what 2009 holds? Will we finally capture Osama bin Laden at 5/1?!

Perhaps one of the bets of 2009 is a General Election to be held in June 2009 at 4/1 with Ladbrokes. Gordon Brown may want to capitalise on the Obama visit or simply cash in before we find out how bad the economy really is.

I am looking forward to the Cheltenham Festival next year, as well as the Six Nations. Also of interest are The Tour de France, The Ashes, Wimbledon and the Champions League.

2009 SPECIALS:

X Factor Final 3 all have UK no. 1 singles 20/1

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson marry in civil ceremony 6/4

UK win Eurovision 16/1

X Factor Winner sing on American Idol as guest 3/1

Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Sherzinger marry 10/1

UK come last in Eurovision 3/1

Louis Walsh not to be X Factor judge for 2009 series 3/1

Kate Moss marry Jamie Hince 3/1

UK get ‘nul point’ in Eurovision   10/1

Robbie Williams replace Dannii Minogue as judge on X Factor 2009 5/1

Pete Doherty and Kate Moss get back together officially   4/1

Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder Civil to divorce 1/3

Simon Cowell not be X Factor panellist in 2009 3/1

Paul McCartney remarry 4/1

Kerry Katona and Mark Croft divorce 2/1

S Cowell announce he’ll stand as candidate in next election 20/1

Britney Spears marries again    4/1

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split    5/1

Simon Cowell come out as gay 50/1

Queen not record Xmas message 5/1

David Cameron have his bike stolen 6/1

X Factor Winner have 3 consecutive no. 1 singles by end 08    7/1

Chelsey and Harry get engaged 4/1

David Cameron grow a moustache   33/1

X Factor Winner not go straight to no. 1 official UK album chart with debut by end 08  5/6

Prince William or Prince Harry to marry 6/1

Madonna & G Ritchie get back together 50/1

X Factor 09 winner get Xmas no. 1 2009 1/4

Prince William and Kate Middleton get engaged 2/1

Osama Bin Laden be captured   5/1

X Factor winner 09 NOT get Xmas no. 1 2009 11/4

Queen to abdicate 14/1

Ant and Dec their get own individual TV shows 33/1

X Factor Final 3 all have UK no. 1 albums in 2008 8/1

Prince William and Kate Middleton split 5/2

Chris Moyles sacked from Radio 1 breakfast show 10/1

Diana Vickers and Eoghann Quigg release duet 3/1

Prince William become King 50/1

Russell Brand reinstated as Radio Two DJ 50/1

Cheryl Cole win FHM Sexiest Woman in the World 5/1

Terry Wogan Retire from his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show 6/4

Great white shark be caught off British shores 20/1

Girls Aloud split 5/6

Sports personality win Strictly Come Dancing 09 6/4

Gordon Brown be PM on 31/12/09 2/7

Leona’s fastest selling debut album record broken (375,872 in first week) 5/1

John Sergeant replace Bruce Forsyth as SCD host 10/1

David Cameron be PM on 31/12/09 11/4

Leona Lewis win best UK female at Brits 2/1

Anton Du Beke replace Bruce Forsyth as SCD host 6/1

Nick Clegg be PM on 31/12/09 100/1

Victoria Beckham have baby girl 6/1

Geri Halliwell do Strictly Come Dancing 09 8/1

Will Young announce his intention to stand as candidate in next GE 20/1

Cheryl and Ashley Cole have a baby 3/1

Bruce Forsyth NOT host Strictly Come Dancing 2009 5/4

PM to announce referendum on joining Euro 8/1

Charlotte Church has another baby 4/1

Jonny Vegas win SCD 09 16/1

UK adopt Euro as official currency 16/1

Posh & Becks adopt a child 10/1

Peter Mandelson win SCD 09 33/1

David Cameron arrested under anti-terrorism legislation 33/1

Angelina Jolie adopt again 2/1

Robbie Williams sing on a new Take That release (not old song)   3/1

The FTSE to be above 6000 on 31/12/09 6/1

Celeb Big Brother taken off air permanently mid series 10/1

Totally dry Wimbledon fortnight 10/1

The FTSE to be above 5000 on 31/12/09 5/4

Kate Winslet win Best Lead Actress Oscar 2/1

Rain every day Wimbledon 33/1

Congestion charge be introduced in a UK city by public vote 4/1

Heath Ledger win Best Supporting Actor at Oscars 1/4

David Beckham play in Premier League 3/1