The NME last night announced the nominations for those annual awards that tedious people like me insist on still calling the Brats. Five bands picked up four nominations each across the 23 categories that feature, and none of them in those negative categories like Worst Band or Villain Of The Year, which is surely an achievement in itself. Those bands are Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Muse, The Killers and My Chemical Romance.
The first three of that list, ie the British bands among them, all compete in the Best British Band category, alongside Babyshambles and Oasis. The latter two both appear on the shortlist for Best International Band, alongside CSS, The Strokes and We Are Scientists.
The full list of nominees is at the bottom of today's Daily, so it would be pointless to pick out one or the other for mention here. But let's do it anyway. Among the contenders for best solo artist are Lily Allen, Jarvis Cocker, Jamie T, Thom Yorke and Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, while up for the Best Live Band gong are Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, Kasabian, Muse and My Chemical Romance. Among the festivals vying for Best Live Event are Download, Oxegen, T In The Park, V Festival and the Carling Weekend. On the media side of things, Lauren Laverne, Zane Lowe, Chris Moyles, Colin Murray and Jo Whiley are all up for Best Radio DJ, while DrownedinSound, last.fm, MySpace, Pitchfork and YouTube are all competing for Best Website. There, that was fun, wasn't it?
Readers of the magazine will now vote on the shortlists published last night, with the overall winners announced at an event at London's Hammersmith Palais on 1 Mar. Assuming they don't knock it down before then.
PS: Oh, you all have to vote for OK Go's 'Here it Goes Again' in the best video category - check it out if you've never seen it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI