It’s that time of year again, readers, when the who’s who in music gather together at the Staples Centre, in Los Angeles, to celebrate the world famous ceremony that is the Grammy Awards. This year’s bash has been a particular success for British artists. Home-bred talent such as Coldplay (pictured top), Radiohead (pictured right), Duffy, Leona Lewis and Led Zepplin’s Robert Plant are all up for coveted gongs ranging from ‘Album of the Year’ to ‘Best New Artist’. Brits performing at the awards include Adele, Paul McCartney, Estelle and M.I.A – who has riskily decided to go on with the show despite the fact her baby is due that very night!

Further performances come from Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Jonas Brothers, U2 and even a potential surprise appearance from Green Day. The band have hinted on their website, that they may be showing at this year’s awards despite a near 5 year hiatus since releasing hit-album, American Idiot.

The nominees and consequent winners of the gongs’ are decided by a board of around 10000 members made up of artists, songwriters, producers and music engineers. American rapper, Lil Wayne, is the artist to receive the greatest amount of nominations this year, claiming a cool eight nods. Jay-Z, Kanye West, John Mayer, The Eagles and Metallica are other name’s that will be featuring across a significant array of awards tonight. Meanwhile, Neil Diamond is set to be awarded the acclaimed MusiCares Person of the Year title, which aims to recognise those who have made both an outstanding contribution to music as well as charity-work. Previous winners of the award include Bono, Sting and Aretha Franklin.

Catch all the Grammy action tomorrow night (Monday 9th), at 9pm on ITV2.

If the credit crunch is doing you some favours and you’re actually feeling particuarly plush at the moment, maybe you’ll be interested in bidding on some amazing money-can’t-buy items thanks to childrens charity Rays of Sunshine. Normally they hold a gala dinner at London’s Roundhouse, however in the current climate they’ve moved online, auctioning their amazing lots online and giving everyone a chance to win the auction, not just the rich..

Website founder Mia Woodford commented “The Rays of Sunshine Virtually Brilliant Auction contains some of the best lots we have ever seen. Bids have already started to come in for such money-can’t-usually-buy opportunities as meeting the Kaiser Chiefs or Coldplay, with VIP concert tickets, or the chance to go on set with Emma Thompson as she films Nanny Mc Phee II”

So, if you want a chance to win some of the amazing auction items below, just go on over to Rays of Sunshine’s online auction. At the time of writing, you can get 6 VIP Madness tickets for just £80 – so get bidding before the price goes astronomical.

Auctioned items include:

• 2 VIP tickets to see Coldplay in concert followed by a meet and greet
• 2 VIP tickets to see Kaiser Chiefs at Wembley Arena followed by a meet and greet
• A Fender guitar signed by Sting
• The chance to have lunch or dinner with Craig David at his home in Hampstead
• 4 VIP tickets, flights and accommodation to the 2009 Europe Music Awards in Berlin
• 6 VIP tickets to see Madness and meet the band backstage

The Police (no, no, not the police force… The Police, the band!) have announced a new London show to end their European Tour.

They’ll end their tour at London’s Wembley Arena on Saturday 20th October before jetting over to New York on Halloween.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday (thats the 7th September), though they also play the capital this weekend on Saturday and Sunday at Twickenham stadium – it’s sold out, though ebay may have some luck.

Press photo is taken from their myspace