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Artist News Awards
BRIT Awards nominations announced
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 16 January 2017
Music was given primetime space on a major British TV channel on Saturday evening, and without a talent show format being employed. Did you watch it? Ah well, I’m sure it’ll happen again sometime in the next 100 years or so. All that matters now is that some people got nominated for some BRIT Awards.
If you had been watching, you would have seen performances by Craig David, Christine And The Queens, Calum Scott and BRITs Critics’ Choice Winner Rag N Bone Man. But not to worry. Just watch some Christine And The Queens performances on YouTube later. Any will do. Take your pick. I’m not pushy.
But what of the nominations? The big thing this year, of course, was improving the diversity of the UK record industry’s big awards bash, after last year’s lists and eventual winners were noted for their particular whiteness. Efforts to improve the mix of BRIT voters – or possibly existing voters casting their nets a bit wider – do seem to have paid off, with a broader representation of what’s popular on offer. The resurgent grime scene gets a look in this year with nominations for Skepta, Kano and Stormzy.
Anohni also becomes the first artist to have BRIT nominations in both the Best British Male and Best British Female categories in different years. Appearing in the latter category this year, she was previously nominated in the male category as Antony And The Johnsons in 2006. Which almost (but still not quite) justifies having award categories separated by gender in 2017.
Still, on the night all the awards could still end up going to Adele again. Even if she is only on one shortlist this year. That nomination is in the Best Video category, which is voted for on social media. One Direction are also up for that, so I suspect even Adele doesn’t stand a chance there. But she’ll definitely get the good old no-shortlist-required Global Success Award, which is mainly there to ensure the biggest British global star of the moment has a reason to attend the show even when they’re not likely to win anything else.
“The 2017 BRIT nominations reflect a diverse and rich year in music both in the UK and internationally”, says BRITs chair and Sony Music UK boss Jason Iley. “Huge artists from the past, present and future are represented. From pop, to indie, to grime, to rock; it’s a brilliant and varied roll call of talent – a fantastic showcase for what’s happening in music right now”.
When he says “past”, he means David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, who both pick up posthumous nominations. A Tribe Called Quest are also up for Best International Group, following the death of rapper Phife Dawg last year. So the night could end up being dominated by the deads. Who are often unrepresented at these things. So yay diversity!
The ceremony itself will take place on 22 Feb, with performances from, among others, Little Mix, Emeli Sandé and The 1975.
And the nominees are…
British Male Solo Artist: Craig David, David Bowie, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Skepta
British Female Solo Artist: Anohni, Ellie Goulding, Emeli Sandé, Lianne La Havas, Nao
British Group: The 1975, Bastille, Biffy Clyro, Little Mix, Radiohead
British Breakthrough Act: Anne-Marie, Blossoms, Rag N Bone Man, Skepta, Stormzy
British Single: Alan Walker – Faded, Calum Scott – Dancing On My Own, Calvin Harris feat Rihanna – This Is What You Came For, Clean Bandit feat Sean Paul & Anne-Marie, Rockabye, Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend, James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go, Jonas Blue feat Dakota – Fast Car, Little Mix – Shout Out To My Ex, Tinie Tempah feat Zara Larsson – Girls Like, Zayn – Pillowtalk
British Album Of The Year: The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, David Bowie – Blackstar, Kano – Made In The Manor, Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate, Skepta – Konnichiwa
British Artist Video Of The Year: Adele – Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Calvin Harris feat Rihanna – This Is What You Came For, Clean Bandit feat Sean Paul & Anne-Marie – Rockabye, Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend, James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go, Jonas Blue feat Dakota – Fast Car, Little Mix feat Sean Paul – Hair, One Direction – History, Tinie Tempah feat Zara Larsson – Girls Like, Zayn – Pillowtalk
International Male Solo Artist: Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, Drake, Leonard Cohen, The Weeknd
International Female Solo Artist: Beyonce, Christine And The Queens, Rihanna, Sia, Solange
International Group: A Tribe Called Quest, Drake & Future, Kings Of Leon, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Twenty One Pilots
Critics’ Choice: Rag N Bone Man
BRITs Global Success Award: Adele