BRITS go pop

19 January 2008

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By Take That's side in pop's battle for the top prizes are two artists who look set for global success.

Not content with their nominations for Best British Breakthrough Act, Mika and Leona both join the boys on the shortlist for Best British Album for their respective LPs 'Life In Cartoon Motion' and 'Spirit', and for Best British Single with their UK number one hits 'Grace Kelly' and 'Bleeding Love'.

The pair look like the frontrunners in the singles category, with 'Bleeding Love' an overwhelming favourite to scoop the prize after its sales of 788,000 in 2007 made it the best-selling single of the year in the UK, the first time a British solo female has ever topped the end-of-year singles sales chart.

Having already sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK and Republic of Ireland alone since its release in November, 'Spirit' will surely give Take That a fight for Best British Album, while the five million worldwide sales of 'Life In Cartoon Motion' also make Mika a heavyweight contender.

Also in the reckoning for Best British Album is Mark Ronson, another sure sign that the BRITs are preparing themselves for a pop takeover.

The massively successful producer - the mastermind behind last year's Best British Album winner, Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' - Ronson has forged his solo success off the back of his knack for sugar-coating indie hits then feeding them to the masses.

His covers album 'Version' featured 'pimped up' interpretations of Radiohead's 'Just', Kaiser Chiefs' 'Oh My God' and The Smiths' 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before'.

His reworking of The Zutons' 'Valerie', featuring Winehouse on vocals, not only bettered the original's UK chart position by seven places to reach number two, but earned Ronson a nomination for Best British Single.

His knack for transforming famous songs into brand new hits offers a freshness to proceedings, and, as Ronson insists, his unique covers mean the tracks "stand on their own as songs".

Having helped Winehouse and Lily Allen gain BRITs recognition last year, the 32-year-old is understandably delighted to step out of the shadows, enthusing: "Last year, when Amy got four nominations and Lily got three and I'd worked with them on their records it was amazing. Now getting three nominations on my own, it's almost more surreal.

"I feel like I should be able to run around naked with toilet roll spinning around the place."

Ronson may be joking, but given that the BRITs history is littered with controversial incidents - Jarvis Cocker's butt-shaking at Michael Jackson in 1996, and Chumbawamba chucking a bucket of water over then deputy prime minister John Prescott two years later immediately spring to mind - it is impossible to be certain. It is probably more likely, however, that we will see him fulfilling his frequently expressed wish of performing 'Valerie' on stage with Amy.

Rallying against the pop onslaught are Arctic Monkeys, winners of Best British Group and Best British Album in 2007. Their presence in the Best British Album category with second LP 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' means Mika, Leona, Take That and Ronson may all be forced to sit back and watch while rock once again wins the day.

The Sheffield four-piece are also in the running for Best British Group, where the fight between pop and rock is more evenly matched. The Monkeys are joined by Editors, 2006 winners Kaiser Chiefs, Girls Aloud and Take That.

Such recognition is a massive coup for a girl band spawned by reality show 'Popstars: The Rivals', and the news has left the girls in shock.

A clearly delighted Sarah Harding said: "When we heard who else was in the category we were totally shocked. They're all bands we really admire.

"We're really looking forward to it - it'll be an excuse for a party."

The full list of nominations is characterised by strength in depth, and as a consequence, large helpings of unpredictability.

Up against Leona and Mika in the Best Breakthough Act category are 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize winners the Klaxons, 20-year-old 'Foundations' singer Kate Nash and the innovative Bat For Lashes, 28-year-old newcomer Natasha Khan.

The solo categories offer up an eclectic range of performers. Joining Mika and Mark Ronson on the quest to be the Best British Male is 22-year-old Jamie T, who fought off the likes of Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker to prevail at the 2007 Shockwave NME Awards, and ginger dreadlocked singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner, 23.

Completing the list is the relative old man of the group, 40-year-old Richard Hawley. A member of the now defunct 90s pop group The Longpigs, Hawley has long been a respected session guitarist, performing with an array of acts including Pulp and Nancy Sinatra.

After narrowly losing out on the 2006 Nationwide Mercury Prize for his fourth album 'Coles Corner' - his defeat prompted Alex Turner, frontman of that year's winners Arctic Monkeys, to exclaim "somebody call 999. Richard Hawley's been robbed!" - 2007 proved to be just as successful, with his LP 'Lady's Bridge' reaching number nine in the UK album charts.

It's a far cry from 2000, when a tired-looking shortlist including Tom Jones, David Bowie, Van Morrison and Sting had to settle for a then 37-year-old Ian Brown for its injection of relative youth.

The Best British Female category has a similar feel to it, with Leona joined by Bat For Lashes, Kate Nash and KT Tunstall, with only 38-year-old PJ Harvey boasting a back catalogue which stretches back into the 20th century.

This year the nostalgia remains firmly where it belongs in the Outstanding Contribution category, where the award will be given to arguably the most deserving candidate in history - Sir Paul McCartney. The legendary former Beatle will close the show with his first ever appearance at the BRITs, and he is certain to round off the show in magnificent style given his beloved and hit-littered back catalogue.

In truth, McCartney has already won this accolade. In 1977 at the inaugural BRITs, The Beatles were given the Outstanding Contribution prize along with former EMI boss L.G. Wood

The ceremony - then known as the British Record Industry Trust awards - took place at the Wembley Conference Centre, and rather than honour the successful artists of the previous year, the event celebrated the previous 25 years of popular music starting from 1952.

Unsurprisingly, the Fab Four - Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - claimed the most prizes with three in total, although they refused to attend to collect their statuettes.

In past years the BRITs has sometimes found itself relying on international stars to bring a bit more glamour to proceedings, but this year they will merely be the icing on an already tempting-looking cake.

Best International Female nominee Rihanna will strut her stuff on stage, but faces a tough battle to wrestle the performance of the night accolade from 'honourary Brit' Kylie Minogue.

'X', Kylie' s first LP since her recovery from breast cancer, has also earned her a nomination alongside Arcade Fire's 'Neon Bible', the Eagles' 'Long Road Out Of Eden and the Foo Fighters' 'Echoes Silence Patience + Grace' for Best International Album.

The Best International Male award looks set to be a battle between rapper Kanye West and his good friend, super-producer Timbaland, although the pair face competition from 'The Boss' Bruce Springsteen, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé and singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

Such marquee names undoubtedly add some flavour, but this year's BRITs is already a potent concoction. And the main ingredient? Pure, unadulterated, unabashed pop.

The BRIT Awards 2008 with MasterCard full nominations list:

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

MasterCard 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 - Top Five selected by the BRITs Academy. Winner chosen by BBC Radio 1 listeners:

Bat For Lashes

Kate Nash

Klaxons

Leona Lewis

Mika

British Live Act - Nominees chosen by a panel of experts in association with The Live Music Forum. Winner chosen by BBC Radio 2 listeners:

Arctic Monkeys

Kaiser Chiefs

Klaxons

Muse

Take That

British Single - Nominees voted for by UK Commercial Radio station listeners and The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column readers. Winner chosen live on the night:

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 Bublé

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

By Robbie McIntyre.