BRIT Awards: observations, nominations

A lot of work goes into the BRIT Awards nomination ceremony. Evidence trails back all the way to the award received by Adele last year, as the newfangled ‘Critics Choice’ prize – announced in the press just after Fireworks night - went to the London-born singer whose back catalogue at the time carried the weight of a solitary single.

Evidence, surely, of strings and things being pulled about the industry trade routes – strings that yesterday snagged hooks in the t-shirts of a legion of fresh-faced TV professionals scuttling around the corner-less venue, desperately trying to warm the crowd to gig-heat.

Suited men supped and nattered throughout, while the idiot-grin gaggle of BRIT School kids – who used to count Adele among their number, interestingly - gladly complied with the compere’s demands for on demand whooping and hand-smacking.

Most left after 2008’s most-tipped, though other highlights included seeing Jamie T up for a BRIT two years after leaving his bedroom for the first time, Richard Hawley raining on everyone’s parade and Jodie Harsh, that most desperate of London mules, parading around looking for Andy Warhol in a chicken factory; this crass pantomime’s very own Widow Twanky.

Anyway…

British Male Solo Artist
Jamie T
Mark Ronson
Mika
Newton Faulkner
Richard Hawley

British Female Solo Artist
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
KT Tunstall
Leona Lewis
PJ Harvey

British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Editors
Girls Aloud
Kaiser Chiefs
Take That

British Album
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Leona Lewis – Spirit
Mark Ronson – Version
Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion
Take That – Beautiful World

British Breakthrough Act
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
Klaxons
Leona Lewis
Mika

British Live Act
Arctic Monkeys
Kaiser Chiefs
Klaxons
Muse
Take That

British Single
Leona Lewis – ‘Bleeding Love’
Mika – ‘Grace Kelly’
Take That – ‘Shine’
Kaiser Chiefs – ‘Ruby’
Sugababes – ‘About You Now’
Mark Ronson Ft Amy Winehouse – ‘Valerie’
Kate Nash – ‘Foundations’
The Hoosiers – ‘Worried About Ray’
James Blunt – ‘1973’
Mutya Buena – ‘Real Girl’

International Male Solo Artist
Bruce Springsteen
Kanye West
Michael Buble
Rufus Wainwright
Timbaland

International Female Solo Artist
Alicia Keys
Bjork
Feist
Kylie Minogue
Rihanna

International Group
Arcade Fire
Eagles
Foo Fighters
Kings of Leon
White Stripes

International Album
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Eagles – Long Road Out Of Eden
Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Kings of Leon – Because Of The Times
Kylie Minogue – X

Critics' Choice Award
Adele

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Sir Paul McCartney

The ceremony proper will take place at Earls Court on the 20th of February, presented by Ozzy and the odious Sharon Osbourne.