Skepta and Little Mix claim three BRIT Award nominations apiece

In a live television show for the first time, nominations for next month’s BRIT Awards have been announced.

Unsurprisingly, Skepta and Little Mix lead the way by being up for three gongs each – Skepta for British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act following May’s Mercury Prize-winning Konnichiwa, which also is recognised in the Mastercard British Album category; Little Mix for British Group, British Single for ‘Shout Out To My Ex,’ and British Video for Sean Paul team-up ‘Hair.’

Rihanna too could lift three trophies, following nominations for her Calvin Harris collaboration ‘This Is What You Came For’ in the British Single and British Artist Video categories in addition to her sixth nod in the International Female Solo Artist race, in which she triumphed in 2011 and 2012.

Also joining Skepta in the running for both Mastercard British Album and British Male Solo Artist are Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, and the late David Bowie, who was honoured at last year’s ceremony with the BRITs Icon Award, awarded this year to Robbie Williams, and a moving 15-minute tribute. Blackstar, released days before his passing last January, was named by The Edge‘s writers as the best album of 2016,

Blackstar will also face competition from The 1975’s acclaimed I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. Completing the shortlist for British Male Solo Artist is Southampton’s R&B comeback king Craig David, receiving his first BRIT Award nomination since 2006 after the chart-topping success of the gold-certified Following My Intuition. In the female counterpart category, nominations go to ANOHNI, Ellie Goulding, Emeli Sandé, Lianne La Havas, and NAO, and the British Group lineup is rounded off by Bastille, Biffy Clyro, Radiohead, and The 1975.

The nominations follow Sussex-born bluesman Rag’n’Bone Man being announced last month ahead of pop singers Anne-Marie and Dua Lipa as the winner of the Critics’ Choice prize, and he stands a chance of picking up a second trophy on the evening having been nominated alongside Anne-Marie, Skepta, synthy Stockport rockers Blossoms, and fellow grime heavyweight Stormzy for British Breakthrough Act.

Fans can vote for this prize soon, and Twitter-voting for British Artist Video is already under way with One Direction’s ‘History’ taking an early lead from Little Mix and former bandmate ZAYN. All other prizewinners are selected by the over 1,200-strong voting committee, which this year invited 718 new members from more diverse backgrounds in order to ensure the acts recognised more accurately reflected British music. Their full selections for the ten categories announced tonight are as follows:

The 37^th BRIT Awards ceremony, set to be hosted by Michael Bublé, takes place on 22^nd February at London’s O₂ Arena and will be broadcast live on ITV.

Watch highlights of 2016’s show, in which Adele picked up four trophies, below.