Hey, it's only Brits time again, oh joy. Yep, the nominations for this year's annual back slapping fest were announced in
London last night and it is with much regret that we admit that there are few artists up for an award who don't deserve the honour. Damn. That said, we trust Band Aid won't win best single,
Girls Aloud and Westlife better not get the top pop gong, and we'd rather Jamie Cullum didn't get best male. Otherwise, well, whatever really.
As far as the nominations party went, it was Franz Ferdinand's night really, because they topped the proceedings with five nominations - for best British group, best British album, breakthrough act, best live act and best rock act. Well done them and everyone at Domino - it's nice to have an independently signed artist topping the bill.
Most of the other multiple scorers come from major labels, though they still deserve the attention. Muse, score four nominations, while Natasha Bedingfield, Jamelia, Keane, Kasabian, Snow Patrol and The Streets all have three nominations each. Lovely.
As previously reported, 2005 is the 25th edition of the Brit Awards, and to celebrate there is this additional award for the best
British single to have been released since the first ever awards event. Awards like this are pretty pointless really - how the hell do you pick one single as being the best in the last 25 years? Well, you start by not picking Robbie William's 'Angels' or Will Young's 'Leave Right Now' (both good songs you understand, but the best song of the last quarter century?) - but obviously no one told this to the Radio 2 listeners who have been voting on the 25 track shortlist put together by industry types, because both appear in the final five. Which means we can only hope that the British public get busy voting for one of the other three finalists - 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division,
'Wuthering Heights' by Kate Bush or 'We Are The Champions' by
Queen - for the overall 'best track since 1977' award.
The
2005 Brit Awards take place at Earls Court on 9 Feb and will be hosted by Chris Evans, with live performances promised from
Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Joss Stone, Scissor Sisters, Green Day, and Natasha and David Bedingfield.
Organisers of the awards also last night confirmed that they will donate all the proceeds from this year's awards show to the Tsunami-aid appeal. They will give the profits, expected to be in the region of £500,000, to British charity Save The Children to fund a two year project supporting those affected by the tsunami in southern Asia.
Commenting on that decision BPI boss Peter Jamieson told reporters: "The
Brit Awards is unique among music awards shows in devoting all of its proceeds to charity. Brits 25 gives us a unique opportunity to make a real difference to children affected by the horrors of the tsunami."