Last updated at 11:32, Saturday, 01 September 2012

Songstress Emeli Sande, who has family in west Cumbria and Carlisle, has overtaken Adele with the biggest selling album of the year so far.

Record breaker: Emeli Sande

Her appearances at the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies helped her achieve chart-topping success.

The 25-year-old’s debut release Our Version Of Events saw its sales swell by a third during London 2012, compared to the previous month.

Emeli’s mother Diane is from Smithfield near Egremont. Her uncle Chris lives in Beckermet and her aunt Jo lives in Carlisle.

Diane, a former pupil of St Bridget’s and Whitehaven Grammar, watched both the opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympic arena with Emeli’s dad Joel and sister Lucy, 23.

At the time Diane said: “It’s all good, a bit like a rollercoaster with mainly ups. We have been going to her concerts for years helping out so we have seen it gradually build up. But this past year things have really taken off,”

Emeli’s album has now surpassed Adele’s record-breaking 21, selling 3,200 more copies during 2012, according to new figures from the Official Charts Company.

She has seen her career soar since winning the Critics’ Choice Award at this year’s Brits. Her album has sold almost 660,000 copies since its release at the end of February.

She appeared at both Olympic ceremonies, notably performing Abide With Me at Danny Boyle’s opening celebration.

Managing director of the Official Charts Company Martin Talbot said: “At a time when it is as hard as ever for new artists to break through, it is fantastic that Emeli Sande now has the official biggest selling album of 2012 so far.

“It is also apt that Emeli should take over from the inaugural Brits Critics’ Choice Award winner, Adele. Yet another British female singing star has been born.”

First published at 08:54, Saturday, 01 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk