The BRIT Award Nominations 2012 - What's going on...

Oh how we love the BRIT awards. Even if we hate the whole process, we love to vent our infinite frustrations on the show, lamenting that our favourite artist isn't included (the fact Nicola Roberts hasn't been nominated this year is a pop injustice of mindboggling proportions) or that a certain artist has been nominated too many times (Ed Sheeran, four times, I mean... really?).

But above all, the night itself is bloody brilliant TV viewing and a great bit of marketing. And for that we salute it.

So without further ado, here's the complete list of BRIT award nominations for 2012, who I'd like to win each category (in bold), and who I think will actually win.

British male solo artist

Ed Sheeran (Atlantic Records/Warner Music)

James Blake (Polydor/Universal Music)

James Morrison (Island/Universal Music)

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (Sour Mash)
Professor Green (Virgin/EMI Music)

[Noelly G's solo album was exceedingly excellent - far better than it really had any rights to be, considering how long Oasis had been going before their disagreeable split. But the fact Noel's solo album exists made 2012 a far better place musically, because contained on it was arguably some of his best work in more than a decade, proof that he remains one of the greatest ever British songwriters. Lamentably though, Ed Sheeran will probably win this one.]

British female solo artist
Adele (XL Recordings/XL Beggars)

Florence + the Machine (Island/Universal Music)

Jessie J (Island/Lava/Universal Music)

Kate Bush (Fish People/EMI Music)

Laura Marling (Virgin/EMI Music)

[As brilliant as Adele is, for me, Jessie J is a better popstar. She courts the press and just looks 'cooler'. While her album doesn't hold a patch to Adele's, she cornered the market in urban-inflected pop singles and conquered the airwaves in the process. Of course, Adele probably will win this category, and speaking frankly, she probably deserves to as well.]

British breakthrough act
Anna Calvi (Domino Records)

Ed Sheeran (Atlantic Records/Warner Music)

Emeli Sandé (Virgin/EMI Music)

Jessie J (Island/Lava/Universal Music)

The Vaccines (Columbia/Sony Music)

[I’d like to see Emeli win this just because she seems like a lovely person and her voice is absolutely gorgeous. Heaven, Daddy and Read All About It are all brilliant singles and for me, she deserves the ‘breakthrough’ nod more as Ed Sheeran and Jessie – one of which will probably win this – have already had monumental levels of success and so need the award less.

British group

Arctic Monkeys (Domino Records)

Chase & Status (Mercury/Universal Music)

Coldplay (Parlophone/EMI Music)

Elbow (Polydor/Universal Music)

Kasabian (Columbia/Sony Music)

[This absolutely has to go to Coldplay, and I reckon it will too. As lovely as Elbow’s album plus Reading & Leeds set were, it was Coldplay that absolutely owned Glastonbury. Mylo Xyloto saw the band on stellar form once again with Every Teardrop, Paradise and Charlie Brown easily ranking up there with the band’s previous greats.]

British single

Adele Someone Like You (XL Recordings/XL Beggars)

Ed Sheeran The A Team (Atlantic Records/Warner Music)

Example Changed The Way You Kissed Me (Ministry Of Sound)

Jessie J Ft B.o.B. Price Tag (Island/Lava/Universal Music)

JLS ft Dev She Makes Me Wanna (Epic/Sony Music)

Military Wives/Gareth Malone Wherever You Are (Decca/Universal Music)

Olly Murs ft Rizzle Kicks Heart Skips A Beat (Epic/Sony Music)

One Direction What Makes You Beautiful (Syco Music/Sony Music)

Pixie Lott All About Tonight (Mercury/Universal Music)

The Wanted Glad You Came (Global Talent/Island/Universal Music)

[In terms of the track I enjoyed and played the most, this has to go to Example – seeing him play Changed The Way You Kissed Me live at Wembley Stadium was incredible, I’ve never seen a crowd go as wild as they did then. But realistically speaking, this is bound to go to One Direction through sheer weight of their fanbase voting.]

Mastercard British album of the year

Adele 21 (XL Recordings/Beggars)

Coldplay Mylo (Xyloto Parlophone/EMI Music)

Ed Sheeran + (Atlantic Records/Warner Music)

Florence + the Machine (Ceremonials Island/Universal Music)

PJ Harvey Let England Shake (Island/Universal Music)

[This could only ever be Adele. The sales speak for themselves. And while I don’t think the album is as earth-shatteringly amazing as those sales suggest, it’s certainly still a very, very good pop LP.]

International male solo artist

Aloe Blacc (Epic/Sony Music)

Bon Iver (4AD/XL Beggars)

Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records/Warner Music)

David Guetta (Positiva/Virgin/EMI Music)

Ryan Adams (Columbia/Sony Music)

[I’m going with Ryan Adams because I don’t have a particular preference for any of the other artists and his album is beautiful too. But this’ll probably go to Bruno Mars simple because of his commercial success.]

International female solo artist

Beyoncé (Columbia/Sony Music)

Björk (One Little Indian)

Feist (Polydor/Universal Music)

Lady Gaga (Polydor/Universal Music)

Rihanna (Mercury/Universal Music)

[Rihanna all the way for this. After Adele, this has been 100% her year. While Talk That Talk felt a little by-the-numbers at times, you couldn’t escape the fact that Rihanna sure knows how to bang those hooks out.]

International group

Fleet Foxes (Bella Union)

Foo Fighters (RCA/Sony Music)

Jay-Z/Kanye West (Mercury/Universal Music)

Lady Antebellum (Capitol/EMI Music)

Maroon 5 (Polydor/Universal Music)

[Again, I feel pretty apathetic about all these acts, but for me, the Foo Fighters album was the best of the bunch. A strong return to form for them at any rate. I have a feeling this will go to Jay-Z/Kanye though.]

International breakthrough act

Aloe Blacc (Epic/Sony Music)

Bon Iver (4AD/XL Beggars)

Foster The People (Columbia/Sony Music)

Lana Del Rey (Polydor/Universal Music)

Nicki Minaj (Island/Universal Music)

[This’ll be between Nicki and Lana. Personally I see Lana more as the ‘breakthrough’ artist right now, but what Nicki has achieved in the past year is undeniable. I just wish the incredible Roman’s Revenge had been given a ‘proper’ single release and gone on to do the same things the likes of Fly and Superbass did.]