Adele
Simon Emmett*Adele, Ed Sheeran, Dave and Little Simz are the leading contenders for the 2022 Brit Awards, with four nods each. The nominations were announced on Saturday (Dec. 18) on an hour-long TV special, The Brits Are Coming, which aired on ITV and ITV Hub. The awards will be presented on Feb. 8 at the O2 Arena in London.
Adele will have to wait nearly a year for the 2023 Grammy nominations, in which her long-awaited fourth album, 30, is expected to be a major force.
This year marks the first time that the Brits have combined separate male and female categories in both artist of the year and international artist. So how did it shake out? Females took two of the five spots for artist of the year (Adele and Little Simz), but four of the five spots for international artist (Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift). Eilish won a Brit Award as female international artist in each of the last two years. Swift won a global icon award last year.
Morever, the Brits report that more female artists were nominated for Brit Awards this year than in any previous year in the past decade.
Griff is nominated for best new artist, a year after taking the Brits rising star award. Holly Humberstone was already announced as this year’s winner of the rising star award.
While the U.S. music industry is adjusting to the Grammys’ eleventh-hour expansion from eight to 10 nominees in each of the Big Four categories — album, record and song of the year plus best new artist — the Brits have (gulp) 15 nominees in each of two song categories — song of the year with Mastercard and international song of the year.
Several of this year’s Brit nominees are also nominated in comparable categories for Grammys. Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Doja Cat featuring SZA’s “Kiss Me More” and Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” all of which are Grammy-nominated for both record and song of the year, are vying for international song of the year at the Brits. So is Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U.” Rodrigo is also up for record and song of the year at the Grammys, but with a different hit, “Driver’s License.”
ABBA, which last month received their first Grammy nomination, gained a Brit nod for international group, alongside BTS, Måneskin, Silk Sonic and The War on Drugs. Elton John receives his first Brit nomination in 20 years, in song of the year, for “Cold Heart (Pnau Mix),” his hit collab with Dua Lipa.
Sam Fender, who won the rising star award two years ago, is nominated for three Brits, as are West London rapper Central Cee and French DJ/producer David Guetta.
The winners of the four new genre categories – rock/alternative act, hip hop/grime/rap act, dance act, pop/R&B act – will be determined by a public vote via TikTok, which will open on Jan 21.
The Brits Are Coming special featured performances by Anne-Marie, Glass Animals, Mimi Webb and Joel Corry & Gracey. The special was hosted by Clara Amfo and Maya Jama.
British comedian Mo Gilligan is set to host the Brit Awards, which are presented by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Here’s the complete list of nominees.
Artist of the year (in association with YouTube Shorts)
Adele, Columbia, Sony Music
Dave, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, Asylum, Warner Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal
Sam Fender, Polydor, Universal Music
Group
Coldplay, Parlophone, Warner Music
D-Block Europe, D-Block Europe, Universal Music
Little Mix, RCA, Sony Music
London Grammar, Ministry Of Sound, Sony Music
Wolf Alice, Dirty Hit
Brits Rising Star (Panel of critics, influencers, writers and composers; in association with BBC Radio 1)
Winner: Holly Humberstone, Polydor, Universal Music
Bree Runway EMI, Universal Music
Lola Young, Island, Universal Music
Song of the year (with Mastercard)
(Top 15 identified By peak eight weeks of sales in the U.K. Chart. Winner identified by voting academy. In association with Mastercard. Media Partner Global Media via Capital FM)
A1 & J1, “Latest Trends,” EMI, Universal Music
Adele, “Easy on Me,” Columbia, Sony Music
Anne-Marie/KSI/Digital Farm Animals, “Don’t Play Asylum”/BMG, Warner Music
Becky Hill & David Guetta, “Remember,” Polydor/Parlophone, Universal Music/Warner Music
Central Cee, “Obsessed With You,” Central Cee (Parlophone For Pinkpantheress), Central Cee/Warner Music
Dave featuring Stormzy, “Clash,” Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits,” Asylum, Warner Music
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (Pnau Mix),” EMI/Warner Records, Universal Music/Warner Music
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves,” Polydor, Universal Music
Joel Corry/Raye/David Guetta, “Bed,” Asylum/Platoon/Parlophone, Warner Music
KSI, “Holiday,” BMG
Nathan Evans/220Kid/Billen Ted, “Wellerman,” Polydor, Universal Music
Riton X Nightcrawlers feat. Mufasa & Hypeman, “Friday” (Dopamine Re-Edit) Ministry of Sound, Sony Music
Tion Wayne & Russ Millions, “Body,” Atlantic, Warner Music
Tom Grennan, “Little Bit of Love,” Insanity, Sony Music
Best new artist
Central Cee, Central Cee, Warner Music
Griff, Warner Records, Warner Music
Joy Crookes, Insanity/Speakerbox Recordings, Sony Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal
Self Esteem, Fiction, Universal Music
Mastercard album of the year
Adele, 30, Columbia, Sony Music
Dave, We’re All Alone in This Together, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, =, Asylum, Warner Music
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Age 101/Awal
Sam Fender, Seventeen Going Under, Polydor, Universal Music
Producer of the year
(Independent panel; to be announced in January)
Songwriter of the year
(Independent panel; to be announced in January)
Genre categories
(The genre category winners will be decided by the public powered by TikTok)
Rock, alternative
Coldplay, Parlophone, Warner Music
Glass Animals, Polydor, Universal Music
Sam Fender, Polydor, Universal Music
Tom Grennan, Insanity, Sony Music
Wolf Alice, Dirty Hit
Hip-hop, grime, rap
AJ Tracey, AJ Tracey/Revenge Records
Central Cee, Central Cee, Warner Music
Dave, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ghetts, Warner Records, Warner Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal
Dance
Becky Hill, Polydor, Universal Music
Calvin Harris, Columbia, Sony Music
Fred Again, Atlantic, Warner Music
Joel Corry, Asylum, Warner Music
Raye, Platoon
Pop, R&B
Adele, Columbia, Sony Music
Dua Lipa, Warner Records, Warner Music
Ed Sheeran, Asylum, Warner Music
Griff, Warner Records, Warner Music
Joy Crookes, Insanity/Speakerbox Recordings, Sony Music
International artist
Billie Eilish, Polydor/Interscope. Universal Music
Doja Cat, Ministry of Sound, Sony Music
Lil Nas X, RCA, Sony Music
Olivia Rodrigo, Polydor/Geffen, Universal Music
Taylor Swift, EMI, Universal Music
International group
ABBA, Polydor, Universal Music
BTS, Big Hit Entertainment/Polydor, Universal Music
Måneskin, Columbia, Sony Music
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars/Anderson. Paak), Atlantic, Warner Music
The War on Drugs, Atlantic, Warner Music
International song of the year (Top 15 identified by peak eight weeks of sales in the U.K.
chart. Winner identified by voting academy.)
ATB/Topic/A7S, “Your Love (9PM),” EMI/Positiva, Universal Music
Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever,” Polydor/Interscope. Universal Music
Ckay, “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah),” Parlophone, Warner Music
Doja Cat featuring SZA, “Kiss Me More,” Ministry Of Sound, Sony Music
Drake featuring Lil Baby, “Girls Want Girls,” Ovo/Republic Records, Universal Music
Galantis/Guetta/Little Mix, “Heartbreak Anthem,” Atlantic/RCA, Sony Music, Warner Music
Jonasu, “Black Magic,” 3 Beat, Universal Music
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay,” EMI/RCA, Sony Music/Universal Music
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” RCA, Sony Music
Lil Tjay & 6lack, “Calling My Phone,” Columbia/Polydor/Interscope, Sony Music, Universal Music
Måneskin, “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” Columbia, Sony Music
Olivia Rodrigo, “Good 4 U,” Polydor/Geffen, Universal Music
Polo G, “Rapstar,” Columbia, Sony Music
Tiësto, “The Business,” Atlantic, Warner Music
The Weeknd, “Save Your Tears,” Republic Records/XO, Universal Music
NEWS
Brad Paisley has called Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding “one of the least pretentious weddings he’s ever seen”.
The country star attended the ceremony alongside his actress wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. They joined around 1,000 guests at New York City’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month as the global pop icon married the American football star.
Although the celebration attracted enormous attention and involved tight security and a stunning makeover of the famous arena, Paisley said the occasion never came across as excessive.
“Ironically, (it) was one of the least pretentious weddings that I've ever seen or ever will see,” Paisley told The Associated Press during an interview. “It meant a lot to be (invited). It was, kind of, a big thank you from her to invite us.”
Paisley, who chose Swift as an opening performer for his tour when she was a teenager in 2007, said he was delighted to be included in what many considered the biggest celebrity wedding of the year.
“They were very clear with the invite, and I took this personally when I got the invite, because in the invite, it said, ‘If you're getting this, you mean a lot to us,’” he revealed.
The musician also explained that guests were not told the wedding’s exact location until the date drew nearer.
“It was really fun to watch the cat and mouse game of, like, ‘We can tell you roughly where it's going to be, we're not gonna say what building... and here's the date. If you're in, we'll tell you more,’” he continued. “I went to my wife, I said, ‘Want to go?’ and she said, ‘Absolutely, we gotta be there!’ So, we did it, it was RSVP yes.”
Other famous attendees included Brad Pitt, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, Hugh Grant, Haim and Tom Hanks.
