Adele has been named Billboard’s top artist of 2011. She also won the honors for top album (21) and top single (Rolling in the Deep) of the year, making her the first female to win all three honors in one year.

Explaining what makes Adele stand out from so many others in the music scene, Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, said: ‘Her success is really inspiring because it shows that there is still room in the music industry for an artist to make it with true, raw talent.

‘It’s not necessarily always about the outrageous outfits or flashy videos, but an amazing voice coupled with the right song still has the ability to turn the ears of millions of people and keep them interested.’