Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in Tottenham, north London, England, to a single teenage mother named Penny Adkins on 5 May 1988. Adele's father Mark Evans split from Adele's mother when Adele was 3 years old, for which Adele had not forgiven him as of 2012. She began singing at age four and asserts that she became obsessed with voices. Adele has cited the Spice Girls as a major influence in regard to her love and passion for music, stating that "they made me what I am today." Adele impersonated the Spice Girls at dinner parties as a young girl.To make her look like singer Gabrielle, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which Adele said was embarrassing. At the age of nine, Adele and her mother, a furniture-maker and adult learning activities organiser, relocated to Brighton. At the age of 11, Adele and her mother moved to Brixton, and then to neighbouring district West Norwood, in South London. West Norwood is the subject for Adele's first record, "Hometown Glory", written when she was 16. After moving to South London, she became interested in R&B artists such as Aaliyah, Destiny's Child and Mary J. Blige.
Adele says that one of the most defining moments in her life was when she watched Pink perform at Brixton Academy. "It was the Missundaztood record, so I was about 13 or 14. I had never heard, being in the room, someone sing like that live, I remember sort of feeling like I was in a wind tunnel, her voice just hitting me. It was incredible." Adele graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon in May 2006, where she was a classmate of Leona Lewis and Jessie J. Adele credits the school with nurturing her talent. In school, she was more interested in going into A&R and hoped to launch other people's careers.Although she moved away from North London aged nine, Adele remains an ardent fan of her hometown Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.
Four months after graduation, Adele published two songs on the fourth issue of the online arts publication PlatformsMagazine.com. She had recorded a three-song demo for a class project and gave it to a friend who posted it on Myspace where it became very successful and led to a phone call from music label XL Recordings. She doubted if the offer was real because the only record company she knew was Virgin Records, and she took a friend with her to the meeting.
Nick Huggett at XL recommended Adele to manager Jonathan Dickins at September Management and in June 2006 Dickins became her official representative. September was managing Jamie T at the time and this proved a major attraction for Adele who was a big fan of the British singer-songwriter. Huggett then signed Adele to XL in September 2006. Adele provided vocals for Jack Peñate's song, "My Yvonne", from his debut album. Adele's breakthrough song, "Hometown Glory", was released in October 2007. Adele supported Will Young at the 2007 MENCAP Little Noise Sessions, a charity concert at London's Union Chapel and during this session she first met producer Jim Abbiss, who would go on to produce the majority of her debut album "19", and tracks on follow-up "21". In 2008 she was the headliner and performed a stripped down acoustic set and was supported by Damien Rice. She became the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008.
Awards Winning
American Music Awards 2011
Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist
Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist
Favorite Pop/Rock Album "21"
AIM Independent Music Awards 2011
Most Played Independent Act
Best "Difficult" Second Album "21"
Billboard Awards 2011
Top Artist
Hot 200 Artist
Top Digital Songs Artist
Top European Hot 100 "Rolling in The Deep"
Top Digital Songs "Rolling in The Deep"
Pop Adult Songs "Rolling in The Deep"
Hot 100 Songs "Rolling in The Deep"
Top Canadian Hot 100 Artist "Rolling in The Deep"
Top 200 Albums "21"
Top Digital Albums "21"
Top Canadian Hot 100 Albums "21"
Catalog Album "19"
BMI London Awards 2009
Award-Winning Songs: Pop "Chasing Pavements"
Brit Awards
Critics Choice, 2008
Best British Female, 2012
Mastercard British Album of the Year "21", 2012
BT Digital Music Awards 2011
Best Independent Artist or Group
ECHO Music Awards
Künstlerin International, Rock/Pop (International Female Artist), 2012
Album des Jahres (Album of the Year) "21", 2012
European Border Breakers Awards
Best Album "19", 2009
Glamour Women of the Year Awards
UK Solo Artist of the Year, 2009
UK Musician/Solo Artist of the Year, 2011
Grammy Awards
Best New Artist, 2009
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance "Chasing Pavements", 2009
Album of the Year "21", 2012
Best Pop Vocal Album "21", 2012
Record of the Year "Rolling in The Deep", 2012
Song of the Year "Rolling in The Deep", 2012
Best Short Form Music Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2012
Best Pop Solo Performance "Someone Like You", 2012
IFPI Platinum Europe Awards
Platinum Award "21", 2011
International Album of the Year "21", 2012
International Solo Artist of the Year, 2012
Ivor Novello Music Awards
Best Song Musically and Lyrically "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
PRS for Music Most Performed Work "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Juno Awards
International Album of the Year "21", 2012
MOBO Awards
Best UK R&B/Soul Act, 2011
MP3 Music Awards
Radio/Charts/Downloads "Someone Like You", 2011
MTV Awards
Best UK/Ireland act, 2011
Song of the Year "Rolling in the Deep", 2011
Best Art Direction in a Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Best Cinematography in a Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Best Editing in a Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
NRJ Music Awards
International Breakthrough of the Year, 2012
International Song of the Year "Someone Like You", 2012
Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards
Best UK Female 2012
Premios Fuse TV
International Album of the Year "21", 2011
Best Cinematography "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Premios Oye!
Best Female Artist, 2011
Best Track "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Swiss Music Awards
Best Album Pop Rock International "21", 2012
Best Hit International "Rolling in The Deep", 2012
UK Video Music Awards
Best Pop Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Best Cinematography in a Video "Rolling in The Deep", 2011
Urban Music Awards
Best Jazz Act, 2008
