Emeli Sande's success at the Brit Awards, which saw her collect two of the night's biggest prizes, left staff at her former school in tears, its headteacher has said.
The 25-year-old musician, from Alford, Aberdeenshire, was named best British female and collected the best album award for her debut release, Our Version Of Events.
Picking up the prize during the ceremony at London's O2 Arena last night, she declared: "This is a dream. Wow, I think I'm a very unlikely pop star. You know this is an album I wrote because I didn't have the confidence to say these things in person.
"For me, so many people have connected with this album and found strength with these words, it makes me feel incredible and it doesn't make me feel as lonely. So, thank you everybody who bought this record. You make me feel as though I'm part of something much bigger. This is a dream really."
Sande also closed the show with performances of some of her hits, topping off a year which has seen her have the biggest-selling album of the year, get married and appear at both the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics.
Moira Milne, headteacher of Alford Academy, said the singer was proving to be an inspiration to students.
She said: "Her successes last night and over the course of the last year are just reward for the incredibly hard work Emeli has put in over the years.
"We are all so proud of her. Everyone here at Alford Academy is speaking about her performance last night - she looked and sounded fabulous. There is a great buzz about the school.
"I know a few tears (happy tears) were shed by staff last night and pupils have said to me this morning 'Wow, she is such an inspiration to us. It's great to be an Alford pupil'.
"She is a very talented lady and it is a privilege for us to have such close links with her. We all pass on our congratulations to Emeli."
