Only Men Aloud triumph at Classical Brits

TV choir Only Men Aloud beat Britain's Got Talent star Faryl Smith and The Pope to win album of the year prize at the Classical Brits.

The all-male group, who won TV show Last Choir Standing, took the prize with their Band Of Brothers release.

Only Men Aloud were up against Smith, Rhydian Roberts, The Priests and Pope Benedict XVI - whose voice appeared on the album Alma Mater: Music From The Vatican - to land their NS&I Album Of The Year prize. The category was voted for by Classic FM listeners and readers of Classic FM magazine.

The awards - fully titled the Classical Brit Awards With NS&I - were hosted by Myleene Klass and took place at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was honoured with a lifetime achievement in music prize and performed Mozart's Ach, Ich Fuhl's.

Other performances included appearances by Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazon, The Band Of The Coldstream Guards, Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra.