Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and George Ezra lead the 2015 BRIT Awards with MasterCard nominations.
The ‘Stay With Me’ hitmaker – who won the Critics’ Choice award last year – has been given five nods for British Male Solo Artist, British Single, British Artist Video of the Year, British Breakthrough Act and MasterCard British Album of the Year with both Ed and George, too, nominated for the prestigious award with their albums, ‘x’ and ‘Wanted on Voyage’ respectively.
The ‘Thinking Out Loud’ hitmaker is also nominated for British Male Solo Artist, British Single and British Artist Video of the Year whilst the ‘Budapest’ singer’s three other nominations come from the British Male Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act and British Single categories.
‘The BRITs Are Coming’ host, Reggie Yates, revealed that whilst he is backing the “great set” of British artists, he is championing 23-year-old Ed.
Speaking on the red carpet at the BRIT Awards nominations, he told BANG Showbiz: “I don’t want to sound like everyone else but I love Ed. He’s the one of the people that everyone sounds the same thing about but it’s true, he’s a lovely bloke and I’d love to see him win some stuff on the big night.
“I love what Sia has done this year, I love her last two videos. In terms of UK female artists, Jessie Ware is great – I’ve been a fan of hers since the beginning. Jessie is my girl. Sam Smith is brilliant. There’s just such a great set of British artists around.”
Royal Blood have been handed three nominations whilst FKA twigs and Ella Henderson are up for two gongs.
On the night, the BRITs Global Success Award – which was won by One Direction last year – will be presented to a British act for their international sales success based on their figures for their 2014 releases abroad.
‘The BRITs Are Coming’ nominations launch show, hosted by Reggie Yates, will be broadcast tonight on ITV at 10.40pm where there will be performances from Jessie Ware, FKA twigs, Clean Bandit and the Critics’ Choice winner for 2015, James Bay.
2015 BRIT Awards with MasterCard nominations:
British Male Solo Artist
Damon Albarn
Ed Sheeran
George Ezra
Paolo Nutini
Sam Smith
British Female Solo Artist
Ella Henderson
FKA Twigs
Jessie Ware
Lily Allen
Paloma Faith
British Group
Alt-J
Clean Bandit
Coldplay
One Direction
Royal Blood
British Breakthrough Act
Chvrches
FKA Twigs
George Ezra
Royal Blood
Sam Smith
Critics’ Choice
James Bay (Winner)
George the Poet
Years & Years
British Single
Calvin Harris, ‘Summer’
Clean Bandit ft Jess Glynne, ‘Rather Be’
Duke Dumont ft Jax Jones, ‘I Got U’
Ed Sheeran, ‘Thinking Out Loud’
Ella Henderson, ‘Ghost’
George Ezra, ‘Budapest’
Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars, ‘Uptown Funk’
Route 94 ft Jess Glynne, ‘My Love’
Sam Smith, ‘Stay With Me’
Sigma, ‘Nobody to Love’
Mastercard British Album of the Year
Alt-J, ‘This Is All Yours’
Ed Sheeran, ‘X’
George Ezra, ‘Wanted On Voyage’
Royal Blood, ‘Royal Blood’
Sam Smith, ‘In The Lonely Hour’
British Producer of the Year
Alison Goldfrapp & Will Gregory
Flood
Jake Gosling
Paul Epworth
British Artist Video of the Year
Calvin Harris, ‘Summer’
Charli XCX, ‘Boom Clap’
Duke Dumont ft Jax Jones, ‘I Got U’
Ed Sheeran, ‘Thinking Out Loud’
Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars, ‘Uptown Funk’
One Direction, ‘You and I’
Rita Ora, ‘I Will Never Let You Down’
Route 94 ft Jess Glynne, ‘My Love’
Sam Smith, ‘Stay With Me’
Sigma, ‘Nobody to Love’
International Male Solo Artist
Beck
Hozier
Jack White
John Legend
Pharrell Williams
International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Lana Del Rey
Sia
St Vincent
Taylor Swift
International Group
5 Seconds of Summer
The Black Keys
First Aid Kit
Foo Fighters
The War On Drugs