My Guide to the Brit Awards 2013

The biggest night in the music industry’s calendar is looming just around the corner.

On February 20th at London’s O2 Arena, the world’s finest musical stars will all gather together to celebrate the greatest releases of the past year in thirteen different categories, as announced by Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw at the Brits 2013 Launch Party at the Savoy on January 10th.

The ceremony, hosted by James Corden, will be broadcast live on ITV and will see the top British performers, as well as International artists, fighting to take their relevant accolade.

Here I give you my prediction for the top spot in each category.

British Male Solo Artist: Ben Howard, Calvin Harris, Olly Murs, Plan B, Richard Hawley

After a non-stop year touring the UK, breaking America whilst on tour with One Direction as well as his presenting role on the Xtra Factor, Olly Murs has had an incredible past few months, which can only get better with a Brit Award under his belt and as the current bookies favourite, this could be likely. As the second favourite with the bookies, Calvin Harris would be an equally worthy winner; he is one of the most powerful men in the music industry with his album featuring some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Rihanna, Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah.

British Female Solo Artist: Amy Winehouse, Bat For Lashes, Emeli Sandé, Jessie Ware, Paloma Faith

With 1/10 odds with the bookies, there’s no doubt that Emeli Sandé is tipped for success in this category. In 2012 Sandé was absolutely everywhere and anywhere – the Olympics, Sports Personality of the Year and of course last year’s BRITs where she picked up the coveted Critics’ Choice prize. Her anthem ‘Read All About It’ has been the soundtrack to any Olympics coverage and for this she stands out above the rest of her competitors. Jessie Ware, on the other hand, puts up a good fight also, having two nominations in her first ever BRITs year.

British Breakthrough Act: Alt-J, Ben Howard, Jake Bugg, Jessie Ware, Rita Ora

As mentioned previously, newcomer Jessie Ware is set to have a sparkling 2013, with her album ‘Devotion’ reaching #5 in the UK chart and being granted the third best album of 2012 in a Guardian poll. Despite this, all 4 of her competitors are in with a very good chance of taking this prize and therefore it is very difficult to predict. As the only category voted for solely by the public, it is understandable that chart-topper Rita Ora is topping bookie’s odds and may be in luck.

British Group: Alt-J, Mumford & Sons, Muse, One Direction, The XX

If this particularly category was decided via a public vote, worldwide starlets and chart-topping boyband One Direction would be the clear winners due to their expansive fan base. However, the industry experts who decide the winners may feel more obliged to vote for Mumford& Sons or The XX due to their song-writing abilities and musical prowess, both of whom were nominated in the same category in 2011, with both also nominated in the MasterCard award for Best Album.

British Single: Adele – Skyfall, Alex Clare - Too Close, Coldplay ft. Rihanna - Princess Of China, DJ Fresh ft. Rita Ora - Hot Right Now, Emeli Sandé - Next To Me, Florence + The Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name), James Arthur – Impossible, Jessie J –Domino, Labrinth ft. Emeli Sandé -Beneath Your Beautiful, Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – Troublemaker, Rita Ora ft. Tinie Tempah – RIP, Rizzle Kicks- Mama Do The Hump, Robbie Williams– Candy, Rudimental ft. John Newman- Feel The Love, Stooshe - Black Heart

With an abundance of fantastic British singles in 2012, this shortlist selection must have been a challenging task, with the decision for the ultimate winner even more so. However, one particular track does seem to stand out. With the name of one of the UK’s most successful musical exports of all time attached to the track, as well as featuring in 2012’s biggest film, Adele’s Oscar-nominated ‘Skyfall’ from the James Bond film of the same name is tipped to the title of the year’s greatest song. James Arthur’s X Factor winning single ‘Impossible’ and Olly Murs’ ‘Troublemaker’ complete the top three bookie’s favourites to win the prize, with strong competition being held throughout the entirety of the shortlist.

British Album of the Year: Alt- J (An Awesome Wave), Emeli Sandé (Our Version of Events), Mumford & Sons (Babel), Paloma Faith (Fall to Grace), Plan B (Ill Manors)

Due to this prize’s sponsorship by MasterCard, Best British Album is seen as the evening’s most notable accolade. As Emeli Sandé’s fourth nomination, this 5 X Platinum-selling album is predicted to surpass the four other nominees to the award, with 1/5 odds with Ladbrokes bookmakers. Multiply nominated Mumford & Sons stand in second place with 5/1 odds so this Grammy-nominated album is a very strong contender.

International Male Solo Artist: Bruce Springsteen, Frank Ocean, Gotye, Jack White, Michael Buble

If you don’t know who Gotye is by 2013, you must have been living under a rock throughout 2012, with his single ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ being the year’s biggest selling track in the UK. However, he finds sturdy competition in this category from his fellow Grammy-nominee Frank Ocean. Despite his recent public fall-out with Chris Brown, Ocean’s musical popularity is very widespread, both with the public and critics, standing him in good stead to take the prize.

International Female Solo Artist: Alicia Keys, Cat Power, Lana Del Rey, Rihanna, Taylor Swift

Having won the International Breakthrough Act award at last year’s ceremony, with an Ivor Novello since added to her list of award wins, it is just that Lana Del Rey is the bookie’s favourite to take the Best International Female crown. She does, however, face harsh opposition in Barbados-beauty Rihanna, whose #1 single ‘Diamonds’ and current single ‘Stay’ are two of the most played songs on UK radio stations. Swift and Keys continue to produce chart-topping hits year-upon-year, further adding to the rivalry of these US divas.

International Group: Alabama Shakes,The Black Keys, Fun, The Killers, The Script

2012 has been a hugely successful year for all 5 of the nominees in this category, particularly Fun whose single ‘We Are Young’ rippled through the nation via radio airwaves and was the third biggest selling single of the entire year. With 2/1 odds to take the prize, Fun are beaten only by Ohio rock band The Black Keys with 4/6 odds. Like many of the other BRITs nominees, The Black Keys are also nominated at this year’s Grammys with 5 nominations in total including for Album of the Year for platinum-selling ‘El Camino’.

British Live Act: Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Muse, The Rolling Stones, The Vaccines

Reinstated for 2013, the British Live Act award is back and tougher than ever before, with 5 festival favourites completing the competitive list of nominees. After an expansive and successful world tour with their album ‘Mylo Xyloto’, it is no doubt that Coldplay are favourites for the prize, with veteran rockers The Rolling Stones following closely behind.

British Producer: Damon Albarn, Jake Gosling, Paul Epworth

As three of the most influential producers in the British and worldwide music industry, Albarn, Gosling and Epworth have played an enormous role in shaping the year of music that 2012 brought us.

Following on from his success with Blur and Gorillaz, with Blur winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music at last year’s BRIT Awards, Damon Albarn has continued to use his musical talent in the production world, having worked with Bobby Womack and Snoop Dogg on their latest albums.

Jake Gosling is responsible for producing both One Direction multi-platinum selling albums ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Take Me Home’, as well as working with fellow former BRITs nominee Ed Sheeran with his debut album ‘+’ and Paloma Faith’s ‘Fall To Grace’.

Paul Epworth’s production credits span a long list of former BRITs nominees and winners, known most prolifically for his work with Adele on her ’21’ album. His work on both of Florence Welch’s albums and Plan B’s ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ makes him one of the most successful producers of his generation.

Critics’ Choice: Tom Odell, Aluna George, Laura Mvula

As announced at the BRITs Launch Party, Tom Odell has become the first male winner to take the Critics’ Choice prize, following in the fruitful footsteps of Adele, Florence & The Machine, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sandé. 22-year-old Tom is already on his way to success with his latest single ‘Can’t Pretend’.

Critics' Choice: Tom Odell with last year's winner Emeli Sandé

The evening of February 20th is set to be a wonderful night, with the public and industry experts revelling in the remarkable talent that the UK music scene has to offer. British talents and nominees Ben Howard, Emeli Sandé, Mumford & Sons, Muse, One Direction and Robbie Williams will all feature in the evening, with performances that are set to raise the roof of the O2 Arena. American sensations also included on the bill are Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, with rumours that her other half, Jay-Z, may join both of them in their performances.

Be sure to tune in to ITV1 at 8pm on February 20th so that you don’t miss one of the greatest musical shows and celebrations on the calendar.

A Fantastic Night of Entertainment at the BRIT Awards 2012

Tuesday night saw the biggest artists from the UK, as well as from across the pond, come together to celebrate a fantastic year of music at the BRIT Awards. Not only were the guests at the O2 Arena in London rejoicing in the British talent, but so were the 6.2 million viewers watching at home.

This year has been hugely successful for British artists, who have been producing hit-after-hit not only in the UK, but across the world. Possibly the most successful artist worldwide through 2011 was Adele, whose album ‘21’ topped the chart in 27 countries. It seemed just by all viewers of the ITV awards ceremony that Adele’s record-breaking album should win the show’s cult award ‘Mastercard British Album of the Year’. As the night drew to a close and the prestigious award was announced, the predictions of the public were correct and Adele beat Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Florence & The Machine, as well as Mercury Music Prize winner PJ Harvey, to the accolade.

Every year at the BRITs, the tradition of controversy is normally upheld, whereby a star will collect an award in a drunken manner and swear, or in the case of Liam Gallagher, throw their award into the crowd. As the ceremony neared its end, the annual controversy reared its ugly head as host, James Corden, was forced to interrupt Adele’s acceptance speech to prevent the night from over-running any further. ITV have had to follow the incident with a formal apology to the songstress, who wished to thank her fans for their continued loyalty.

The preceding awards all ran rather smoothly, with the show beginning with the award for Best British Female, which saw Essex’s very own Jessie J pitted against Florence & The Machine, Kate Bush, last year’s winner Laura Marling, and Adele. Adele was tipped for the top, and beat Romford’s Jessica Cornish to the prize. Jessie, who appeared in a revealing, lacy, red gown, was seen humbly applauding and cheering for the star.

Jessie J was later nominated in the British Breakthrough Artist category, which was won by Ed Sheeran, who seemed to be the most unassuming artist on the bill, performing later in just jeans and a T-Shirt. Ed, who was nominated for the most awards with four, also won Best British Male, taking his BRIT-tally to two in just his first year of the ceremony.

Following on from Jessie’s win in 2011, this year saw the Critics Choice award given to upcoming Scottish singer, Emeli Sandé.

After one of the most spectacular opening performances that the BRITs have ever seen with their song Charlie Brown, complete with lights and lasers, Coldplay topped one of the toughest categories of the ceremony – Best British Group, beating Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Chase & Status and Elbow to the prize.
One of the few awards voted for by the public, Best British Single, is always a sought after award, with 10 of the year’s biggest tracks fighting out for the prize.

With three of Essex’s biggest artists, up for the award, Jessie J’s ‘Price Tag’, Pixie Lott’s ‘All About Tonight’, as well as Olly Murs with ‘Heart Skips A Beat’, it would have been fantastic for one of these artists to take the prize. However, teen-favourite’s One Direction triumphed with their debut single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’.

Despite not winning in his category, Olly Murs was flying the flag for Essex as he took to the stage to perform his Number One hit single, ‘Heart Skips A Beat’. After jumping onto the stage to the first beats of the song, the electrifying performance was completed with 70 backing dancers, as well as pop-duo Rizzle Kicks who feature on the song.

Other performances came from Florence & The Machine, Noel Gallagher, as well as Adele, whose performance was highly anticipated following her sensational performance of ‘Someone Like You’ the previous year.

All the way from the US, Bruno Mars and Rihanna appeared, both with tremendous performances. The pair both took the awards for Best International Male and Best International Female respectively. Best International Breakthrough Act went to Lana del Rey, with rockers Foo Fighters winning International Group.

The final prize of the night, for Outstanding Contribution to Music, saw Essex celebrating a win at the ceremony, as 90’s Britpop group Blur were awarded. Essex boy, Damon Albarn, and his fellow band members, last appeared at the awards in 1995 when they performed hit single ‘Boys & Girls’.

Closing the ceremony with 5 of their hit songs, many of the artists and stars at the event were seen dancing around their tables, clearly enjoying the performance and a fantastic night of entertainment.

The BRIT Awards 2012 - Nominations are released!

It's that time of year again when our favourite award show rears its exciting head around the corner!

On Tuesday February 21st, the annual BRIT Awards will be taking place, live on ITV1 from The O2 Arena in London.

This afternoon at the BRIT Awards Launch Party, hosted by Radio 1 DJ Greg James, the nominees for the esteemed awards were released:

British Male: Ed Sheeran, James Blake, James Morrison, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Professor Green

Some critics may have been surprised at the absence of Example and Olly Murs - two artists potentially tipped for the accolade. Ed Sheeran is currently bookies favourite.

British Female: Adele, Florence & The Machine, Jessie J, Kate Bush, Laura Marling

With last year's winner, Laura Marling, in the category, as well as four other very strong contenders, this is a very tough category to be in. With the huge success following her emotional performance of Someone Like You at last year's BRITs, Adele is likely to be tipped for the top.

British Breakthrough Act: Anna Calvi, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Jessie J, The Vaccines

Jessie J, 2011's Critic's Choice winner, and 2012's winner Emeli Sande each pose difficult competition in this category. However, could Ed Sheeran is also very much in the running due to his rise to fame throughout 2011, as agreed by bookies who put him as 6/5 favourite.

British Group: Arctic Monkeys, Chase & Status, Coldplay, Elbow, Kasabian

Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Kasabian were always clear choices for the Best Group category, so it seems as if one of these three could be in the title race. Headlining festivals across the country throughout 2011, each of these groups deserve their place as one of the nominees. Coldplay take the bookies favourite.

British Album: Adele - 21, Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto, Ed Sheeran - +, Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials, PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Five huge albums from the year of 2011 in music. PJ Harvey, winner of the Mercury Music Prize, immediately springs to mind; however, Adele, Coldplay, Ed and Florence have each had huge successes from these albums - a very open race.

British Single: Adele - Someone Like You, Ed Sheeran - The A Team, Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me, Jessie J - Price Tag, JLS - She Makes Me Wanna, Military Wives - Wherever You Are, Olly Murs ft. Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips A Beat, One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful, Pixie Lott - All About Tonight, The Wanted - Glad You Came

Tradition normally finds that on the night of February 21st, these 10 nominees will have become 5. If the bookies are to go by, this will be One Direction, JLS, The Wanted, Adele and Jessie J. Having crashed the BRITs website when voting went live, my tip for the top would be One Direction and their huge flock of fans.

International Male: Aloe Blacc, Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, David Guetta, Ryan Adams

Again, five very strong contenders. Bruno Mars and David Guetta have had repeat successes in the British Chart, but will this help them to take the award? Bon Iver is currently bookies favourite.

International Female: Beyonce, Bjork, Feist, Lady Gaga, Rihanna

Possibly the toughest category of them all. Three of the world's biggest chart-toppers battle out for the Best Female award, but after an immensely successful year, my thoughts go with Rihanna.

International Group: Fleet Foxes, Foo Fighters, Jay Z/Kanye West, Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5

With five very different groups in this category, the award could really go to anybody. Each having huge selling albums throughout 2011, the category is wide open. If an International Single category existed, I'm pretty sure it would go to nominees Maroon 5, for the catchiest song of the year in Moves Like Jagger.

International Breakthrough Act: Aloe Blacc, Bon Iver, Foster The People, Lana del Rey, Nicki Minaj

In the eyes of the bookies, Bon Iver are tipped for the top again. However, after a hugely successful year in the US, as well as in the UK with hit song Superbass, Nicki Minaj poises strong competition. 

Stay tuned to the Essex in the Media blog to find out more about the BRIT Awards 2012, including performers, as well as the winners from the awards show on February 21st, hosted by James Corden.