The Brit Awards 2021 nominations were announced last week prior to the scheduled ceremony in May, with a whole host of artists and bands nominated for awards. Label volunteer, Leah Langley, provides a full list of the nominees, alongside some of her predictions for the ceremony.
The Brit Awards are set to take place on May 11th, 2021, after being one of many events delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the leading artists for this year’s awards include the likes of Dua Lipa, Celeste, and Joel Corry, although there is clear variety across the nominations which has been welcomed by many.
The Brit Awards nominations are as follows:
Best Album
- Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
- Celeste – Not Your Muse
- Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
- J Hus – Big Conspiracy
- Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure?
Best British Female
- Arlo Parks
- Celeste
- Dua Lipa
- Jessie Ware
- Lianne La Haves
Best British Male
- AJ Tracey
- Headie One
- J Hus
- Joel Corry
- Yungblud
Best British Group
- Bicep
- Biffy Clyro
- Little Mix
- The 1975
- Young T & Bugsey
Breakthrough Artist
- Arlo Parks
- Bicep
- Celeste
- Joel Corry
- Young T & Bugsey
Best British Single
- 220 Kid & Gracey – Don’t Need Love
- Aitch & AJ Tracey ft Tae Keith – Rain
- Dua Lipa – Physical
- Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
- Headie One ft AJ Tracey & Stormzy – Ain’t It Different
- Joel Corry ft MNEK – Head & Heart
- Nathan Dawe ft KSI – Lighter
- Regard with Raye – Secrets
- Simba ft DTG – Rover
- Young T & Bugsey ft Headie One – Don’t Rush
International Female
- Ariana Grande
- Billie Eilish
- Cardi B
- Miley Cyrus
- Taylor Swift
International Male
- Bruce Springsteen
- Burna Boy
- Childish Gambino
- Tame Impala
- The Weeknd
International Group
- BTS
- Fontaines DC
- Foo Fighters
- Haim
- Run The Jewels
Rising Star Award
- Griff – (WINNER of this award)
- Pa Salieu
- Rina Sawayama
Continuing on from a very successful year, I personally believe that ‘Best Album’ and ‘International Female’ will be awarded to Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift respectively. Both artists have had their fair share of success over the years, and this year has been no different. I don’t think it would surprise anyone if they were to take these awards home on the night.
Whilst it is hard to predict the full outcome of the awards, it has been great to review the list of nominees. As a regular viewer of the Brit Awards, it was nice to see some diversity amongst this year’s nominations. Last year, the Brits received criticism for not including much female representation within the nominations, however, we have seen some of the much anticipated progress with the highest total of women nominees for the ‘Best Album’ category (Arlo Parks, Celeste, Dua Lipa, and Jessie Ware). It is also great to see a lot of diversity across the nominations in terms of music styles, with UK rap having a clear bearing on awards this year. Although it was nice to see some change in nominations, I was shocked to see the dismissal of other artists such as Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi, who have been prominent across the music scene the last year, but have failed to pick up any nominations.
With some new names on the scene and a more diverse range of nominations, the awards could be the turning point for more representative recognition in the music industry. Whilst there are no guarantees that the front runners will take home the awards, there are certainly going to be some moments to remember.
Header by Christos Leo Alamaniotis – Head of Design
Article Edited by Matthew Rousou – Label Music Editor
