Charli XCX leads the pack at the Brit Awards with five nominations, while The Beatles are up for a prize for the first time since 1977.
The British singer, 32, topped an impressive 12 months by securing nominations in the artist of the year, best pop act and best dance act categories, as well as a coveted album of the year nod for her culture-shaping sixth record Brat.
The infectious electronic-pop tracks on Brat soared up the charts and inspired a trend, with fans embracing the “brat summer” cultural movement which promoted self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices.
Raye, who picked up a record six Brit awards last year, said she was “extremely grateful” for her nomination in the best R&B act category and added that she is “excited to watch Charli XCX clean up this year”.
“Brat” was named the 2024 Collins Word Of The Year, redefined as “characterised by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude”.
The singer will face tough competition for the album of the year gong as she goes up against Dua Lipa’s chart-topping third album Radical Optimism, Ezra Collective’s third release Dance, No One’s Watching, and Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure, the rock band’s first release in 16 years.
The Last Dinner Party’s debut album Prelude To Ecstasy is also nominated.
The band, who won the Rising Star award last year, said it was a “huge honour” to be considered for four awards in 2025.
It is the first time The Cure, also nominated in the group of the year category, have been recognised at the Brit Awards for more than three decades.
They won best British video in 1990 and best British group in 1991, with their last nomination in 1993 in the video category for Friday I’m In Love.
Charli XCX has also received a song of the year nomination for her hit Guess featuring US superstar Billie Eilish, which received a Grammy nod for best pop duo performance last year.
The new Beatles song Now And Then, which was written and sung by John Lennon and later finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison, has been nominated as well.
It is the band’s first Brits nod since 1977, the year of the first Brit Awards, when they won best British album for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and were nominated for British single of the year for She Loves You.
The Liverpool band won the outstanding contribution award in 1983, but it is not a nominated award.
Other tracks vying for song of the year are Lipa’s Training Season, Coldplay’s Feelslikeimfallinginlove, Jade Thirlwall’s Angel Of My Dreams, KSI’s Thick Of It featuring Trippie Redd, Myles Smith’s Stargazing and Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas to Me.
Stormzy and Chase & Status’s collaboration on Backbone, Alibi by Ella Henderson featuring Rudimental, Kehlani by Jordan Adetunji, Central Cee and Lil Baby’s Band4band, Artemas’s I Like the Way You Kiss Me, Bl3ss and Camrin Watsin’s Kisses featuring bbyclose and Somedays by D.O.D., Jazzy and Sonny Fodera have also been nominated.
Pop star Lipa, jazz quintet Ezra Collective and rising stars The Last Dinner Party follow with four nominations apiece, while Smith has three nods after picking up the 2025 rising star award last month.
Lipa and Charli XCX will battle it out for the artist of the year prize alongside Central Cee, Fred Again.., Jamie XX, Nia Archives, Rachel Chinouriri, Sam Fender, Michael Kiwanuka and Beabadoobee.
The best new artist prize will see Smith face off against indie band The Last Dinner Party, singer Chinouriri, Ezra Collective and English Teacher, the last two having picked up the Mercury Prize in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
The Last Dinner Party and Ezra Collective have also been nominated for group of the year alongside Coldplay, Bring Me The Horizon and The Cure.
US megastars including Beyonce, Eilish, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift have been nominated for international artist of the year.
Newcomer Roan, who was one of 2024’s great pop success stories, said the UK “has always shown me so much love and championed me through these past few years” in recognition of her nomination.
They will go up against US rappers Tyler, The Creator and Kendrick Lamar, Nigerian singer Asake and US singers Benson Boone and Adrianne Lenker for the award.
Hit tracks by global stars are up international song of the year, including Swift’s Fortnight featuring Post Malone, Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em, Roan’s Good Luck, Babe!, Eilish’s Birds Of A Feather and Carpenter’s Espresso.
Fontaines DC, Linkin Park, Confidence Man, Amyl And The Sniffers, and Future and Metro Boomin are all up for international group of the year.
Jo Twist, chief executive of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), told the PA news agency: “We’ve moved from a Brat summer into a Brit season for Charli XCX.”
She added: “It’s fantastic to see The Cure come back after three decades, and amazing to see the Beatles have their first nomination since 1977, which was when the awards began.”
The nominations were announced on Thursday in a livestreamed event hosted by radio and TV presenter Sian Welby.
The public will be be able to cast their votes in the five genre categories – alternative/rock act, dance act, hip-hop/grime/rap act, pop act and R&B act – on WhatsApp for the first time.
Comedian Jack Whitehall will return to host the Brit Awards on Saturday March 1 at The O2 arena in London, which will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX.
