Music News: Brit Award nominations (and predictions)

The nominations for the 2013 Brit Awards were announced today at a glittering launch show at London's Savoy hotel.

The nominees (and our best guess at the winners) are as follows....

British Female Solo Artist Nominees: 

• Amy Winehouse 

• Bat for Lashes 

• Emeli Sandé 

• Jessie Ware 

• Paloma Faith 

Interesting to see a posthumous nod for the late Amy (due to the release last year of her 'Lioness' album)  and good to see Paloma Faith and Jessie Ware getting their first Brit recognition but given her total domination of almost everything in 2012, the clear favourite is EMELI SANDÉ

British Group Nominees: 

• Alt-J 

• Mumford & Sons 

• Muse 

• One Direction 

• The xx 

Not usually a popularity contest so it's unlikely One Direction will get this one, the favourite might be a second win in a row for Mumford & Sons but it could be a toss up between Mercury award winners Alt-J and, for us, the more likely recipients THE XX 

British Live Act Nominees: 

• Coldplay 

• Mumford & Sons

• Muse 

• The Rolling Stones

• The Vaccines 

A wide open category and a real question of personal taste but for their amazing shows in 2012 (including the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games) our choice has to be COLDPLAY

British Male Solo Artist Nominees: 

• Ben Howard  

• Calvin Harris 

• Olly Murs 

• Richard Hawley

• Plan B 

Another set of diverse styles in the men's category but purely based on the seemingly golden touch he has with everything he produces (both for himself and other artists) this could easily go to CALVIN HARRIS

Brits Global Success Award 

The winner of this Award will be announced at the Show on Wednesday 20th February.

A new Brits category and there aren't many acts this could go to which could lead to this going to the global phenomena that is ONE DIRECTION

British Producer of the Year Nominees:

In association with The MPG Awards Identified by a panel overseen by MPG. 

• Damon Albarn 

• Jake Gosling 

• Paul Epworth

Anybody's guess this but it would be good to see Ed Sheeran & Paloma Faith's knob twiddler JAKE GOSLING get it.

British Single Top fifteen British singles based on the biggest sales success in 2012. 

With Capital FM and iTunes. 

• Adele ‘Skyfall’ 

• Alex Clare ‘Too Close’ 

• Coldplay & Rihanna ‘Princess of China’ 

• DJ Fresh Ft Rita Ora ‘Hot Right Now’ 

• Emeli Sandé ‘Next To Me’

• Florence & The Machine ‘Spectrum’  

• James Arthur ‘Impossible’  

• Jessie J ‘Domino’ 

• Labrinth Ft Emeli Sandé ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ 

• Olly Murs Ft Flo Rida ‘Troublemaker’ 

• Rita Ora Ft Tinie Tempah ‘R.I.P.’ 

• Rizzle Kicks ‘Mama Do The Hump’ 

• Robbie Williams ‘Candy’  

• Rudimental Ft John Newman ‘Feel The Love’ 

• Stooshe ‘Black Heart’ 

A public vote it's anyone's guess and there are some strong contenders in what was a pretty good year for hit singles, but with it's radio friendly singalong quality, we would love to see this STOOSHE pick up this award

International Female Solo Artist Nominees: 

• Alicia Keys 

• Cat Power 

• Lana Del Rey 

• Rihanna 

• Taylor Swift 

Another tough call with some of the world's best selling artists of 2012 in one category but for a bit of originality it wouldn't surprise us to see country pop queen TAYLOR SWIFT take the International female crown

International Group Nominees: 

• Alabama Shakes 

• The Black Keys

• Fun 

• The Killers 

• The Script 

Another hard one to pick with new and established acts battling it out, it would be nice to see the incredible ALABAMA SHAKE collect this

International Male Solo Artist Nominees: 

• Bruce Springsteen 

• Frank Ocean 

• Gotye 

• Jack White 

• Michael Buble 

A real mixture of the old and new, with legends like BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN back to back with GOTYE who had last year's biggest selling single in the UK and the ever popular Mr BUBLÉ represented, but this could go to new soul man FRANK OCEAN.

Mastercard British Album of the Year Nominees:

Supported by The Sun Bizarre Column 

• Alt-J ‘An Awesome Wave’ 

• Emeli Sandé ‘Our Version Of Events’

• Mumford & Sons ‘Babel’ 

• Paloma Faith ‘Fall To Grace’ 

• Plan B ‘Ill Manors’ 

Considered the big one and this could and should once again go to EMELI SANDÉ

British Breakthrough Act Nominees

Top 5 selected by Voting Academy. Winner identified by public vote promoted by brits.co.uk and BBC Radio 1. 

• Alt-J 

• Ben Howard 

• Jake Bugg 

• Jessie Ware 

• Rita Ora 

The public get to vote here too so could be a bit random (and depending on whoever has a better voting campaign). All have huge fan bases so it could go any way, the justified winner might well  JAKE BUGG

Two awards already decided they are....

Special Recognition Award Winner:

which will be presented to War Child UK

and 

Critics’ Choice Award :

In association with War Child Identified by a panel made up of media music critics which was today presented to TOM ODELL 

James Cordon will host the awards ceremony on Wednesday 20th February at London's o2