2014 Brit Awards Nominations

Bastille and Disclosure lead the nominations at the 2014 Brit Awards to be held at London’s O2 arena on February 19.

Both acts have four nominations, followed closely by pop star Ellie Goulding and dance collective Rudimental, who have three each.

Two-time Brit winner David Bowie is up for best British male and best album, while Arctic Monkeys also get two nods.

The Sheffield band will open the awards ceremony on February 19.

Other bands scheduled to perform at the show include Bastille, Bruno Mars, up for best international male, and Rudimental.

The dance act, whose three nominations include British group, have spent the last year investing in their own live show and are “excited” to perform at the awards.

Katy Perry, who competes in the international female category after last year’s global hit Roar, will also take to the stage on the night.

New artists feature strongly on this year’s long list, with London Grammar, John Newman, Lorde, Drake and Haim all receiving their first nominations.

London four-piece Bastille, who met at university in Leeds, are up for best single, best British group, breakthrough artist and best album for their debut Bad Blood.

Featuring the catchy, triumphant hit singles Pompeii and Things We Lost In The Fire, it went straight to the top of the UK charts in March and ended up the year’s 11th best-selling album.

Disclosure, who are nominated in the same four categories, are brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence from Surrey.

Combining soul melodies with deep house and UK garage, their album, Settle, featured guest vocals from fellow Brit nominees Sam Smith and London Grammar, and was a number one in June.

Ellie Goulding is nominated twice in the best single category, for the dance-pop anthem Burn and her collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris, I Need Your Love.

Also up for female solo artist – where her competition includes Birdy, Jessie J, Laura Marling and Laura Mvula – an “overwhelmed” Ellie Goulding announced at the nominations launch that she too would be performing live at the ceremony.

David Bowie is a strong contender for best British male, after emerging from a 10-year hiatus and rumored health problems last year.

David Bowie, who celebrated his 67th birthday on Wednesday, is old enough to be the grandfather of his fellow nominees: Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake.

He is also up for best British album – deemed the night’s main award – for The Next Day, where he must see off Bastille, Disclosure, Arctic Monkeys, for their lascivious fifth album AM, and Rudimental, for the euphoric club record Home.

If David Bowie wins either award, he will receive his first Brit statuette since being honored with the outstanding contribution award 18 years ago.

For the second year running, there will be no outstanding contribution award in 2014.

However, the best British video category is being resurrected for the first time since 2002, when it was won by So Solid Crew’s 21 Seconds.

Nominations for the prize have yet to be announced, but the winner will be decided on the night by fans using social media.

That makes One Direction, whose fanbase are particularly ardent, the likely winners. Harry, Zayn, Louis, Liam and Niall are also expected to lift the “global success award”, which recognizes overseas record sales.

With nominations for best British group and best single, the boyband could be the night’s big winners.

Some major artists have been overlooked – including Vampire Weekend, Robbie Williams, Kanye West and Beyonce, whose self-titled album arrived slightly too late for the eligibility period.

Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus were also missing – perhaps a reaction to the controversy over their sexually-charged music videos.

The trophies, designed by Philip Treacy, will be handed out at London’s O2 arena on February 19, with comedian James Corden presiding over the ceremony for the third and final time.

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