The nominations for the 2012 BRIT Awards were announced last night at the special London launch event and British singer-songwriters leading with the most nominations were revealed as Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Adele.
Sheeran appears in four different categories including British Breakthrough Act and the prestigious British Album of the Year.
Fellow solo artists Jessie J and Adele both follow with three nominations each, while Florence + The Machine, Emeli Sandé and Coldplay are all nominated in two categories, along with international male solo artists Bon Iver and Aloe Blacc. Coldplay are the only group with more than one nomination.
Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine and PJ Harvey are all up for the British Album of the Year, the biggest award of the evening. Though Ed Sheeran gets the nod for his debut album, Coldplay have won this award three times in the past. Meanwhile, revered solo artist PJ Harvey has been nominated eight times for a BRIT but has yet to win.
The nominations for British Female Solo Artist see Jessie J, Florence and The Machine and Adele go head to head, all of whom are previous winners of the BRITs Critics’ Choice award, won this year by Emeli Sandé.
They will be up against last year’s British Female Solo Artist winner Laura Marling and Kate Bush, who has been nominated in this category an incredible seven times but has not won it since 1987.
Nominations for British Single are now open and will be voted for by listeners of Capital FM and users of iTunes along with British Group supported by BBC Radio 2 and British Breakthrough Act with BBC Radio 1.
Performances on the night of the awards ceremony have been confirmed to include those from Adele, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence and the Machine and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. This year’s winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, Blur, will give their first UK live performance since 2009.
The winners will be announced at the The BRIT Awards 2012, which will be held on February 21 at The O2 Arena and will be exclusively broadcast live on ITV1.
The full list of nominations is as follows
BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST
Ed Sheeran Atlantic Records / Warner Music
James Blake Polydor / Universal Music
James Morrison Island / Universal Music
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Sour Mash / Sour Mash
Professor Green Virgin / EMI Music
BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Adele XL Recordings / XL Beggars
Florence & The Machine Island / Universal Music
Jessie J Island / Lava / Universal Music
Kate Bush Fish People / EMI Music
Laura Marling Virgin / EMI Music
BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Anna Calvi Domino Records / Domino Records
Ed Sheeran Atlantic Records / Warner Music
Emeli Sandé Virgin / EMI Music
Jessie J Island / Lava / Universal Music
The Vaccines Columbia / Sony Music
BRITISH GROUP
Arctic Monkeys Domino Records / Domino Records
Chase & Status Mercury / Universal Music
Coldplay Parlophone / EMI Music
Elbow Polydor / Universal Music
Kasabian Columbia / Sony Music
BRITISH SINGLE
Adele Someone Like You XL Recordings / XL Beggars
Ed Sheeran The A Team Atlantic Records / Warner Music
Example Changed The Way You Kissed Me Ministry Of Sound
Jessie J Ft B.o.B. Price Tag Island / Lava / Universal Music
JLS Ft Dev She Makes Me Wanna Epic / Sony Music
Military Wives / Gareth Malone
Wherever You Are Decca / Universal Music
Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks Heart Skips A Beat Epic / Sony Music
One Direction What Makes You Beautiful Syco Music / Sony Music
Pixie Lott All About Tonight Mercury / Universal Music
The Wanted Glad You Came Global Talent / Island / Universal Music
MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele 21 XL Recordings XL / Beggars
Coldplay Mylo Xyloto Parlophone / EMI Music
Ed Sheeran + Atlantic Records / Warner Music
Florence & The Machine Ceremonials Island / Universal Music
PJ Harvey Let England Shake Island / Universal Music
INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST
Aloe Blacc Epic / Sony Music
Bon Iver 4AD / XL Beggars
Bruno Mars Atlantic Records / Warner Music
David Guetta Positiva / Virgin / EMI Music
Ryan Adams Columbia / Sony Music
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Beyoncé Columbia / Sony Music
Björk One Little Indian / One Little Indian
Feist Polydor / Universal Music
Lady Gaga Polydor / Universal Music
Rihanna Mercury / Universal Music
INTERNATIONAL GROUP
Fleet Foxes Bella Union / Bella Union
Foo Fighters RCA / Sony Music
Jay Z / Kanye West Mercury / Universal Music
Lady Antebellum Capitol / EMI Music
Maroon 5 Polydor / Universal Music
INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Aloe Blacc Epic / Sony Music
Bon Iver 4AD / XL Beggars
Foster The People Columbia / Sony Music
Lana Del Rey Polydor / Universal Music
Nicki Minaj Island / Universal Music
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD
Blur EMI Music
CRITICS’ CHOICE
1st - Emeli Sandé Virgin / EMI Music
2nd - Maverick Sabre Mercury / Universal Music
3rd - Michael Kiwanuka Polydor / Universal Music
BRITISH PRODUCER
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Johns
Thanks to musicweek.com for this story.
