British music crowns its champions tonight at the BRIT awards and before the biggest night in the British music industry, we look forward to seeing who’s going to be taking home the Damian Hurst designed awards.
As we tend to do, we’re getting out our crystal ball and predicting who we think will be the big winners on the night.
Breakthrough Act
Alt-J
Jessie Ware
Ben Howard
Rita Ora
Jake Bugg
The one prize completely decided by the public and is therefore the one most susceptible to a popular singer beating out a truly great one. Thankfully though, this year’s contingent doesn’t have a One Direction to dominate proceedings.
With that in mind we think it’ll be Rita Ora winning this year’s gong, despite how much we’d love to see either Jake Bugg or Ben Howard pick up the prize tonight. The sheer amount of chart success she’s had so far, with three number one singles to her name and a chart topping album last year, the populist success vote seems to be behind her.
British Female
Amy Winehouse
Bat For Lashes
Emeli Sande
Jessie Ware
Paloma Faith
This isn’t even a contest is it? Despite how much we love Bat For Lashes and the massive rise to fame Jessie Ware has enjoyed, this is Emeli Sande’s award just waiting to be picked up.
2012 was the year of Sande, much like 2011 was the year of Adele, with her outselling all the other nominated singles my several orders of magnitude. Beloved by critics and audiences alike, this seems to be the year of Sande to stamp her authority on the BRITS and claim her place at the top of the pyramid. That is of course only until Adele returns once again.
British Group
Alt-J
Mumford and Sons
Muse
One Direction
The xx
Thankfully, this award is one of the majority that is only partly voted for by the British public and makes us safe from the prospect of a One Direction victory. Instead, we see this as a direct fight between Alt-J and Mumford and Sons, with the victors probably being that pesky group of London based lads who’ve brought nu-folk kicking and screaming into the limelight.
While we’d love The xx to swoop in and become one of the oddest winners in recent BRITS history, but the odds on that look about as likely as Richard Hawley winning Best British Male.
British Male
Ben Howard
Calvin Harris
Olly Murs
Richard Hawley
Plan B
That Richard Hawley is nominated should be taken as a victory by his clan of ardent fans, as he doesn’t really have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, despite making a brilliant album in the form of ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’.
Instead, this looks like it could be a first BRIT win for Ben Howard, with the debutant uniting both critics and the masses in a way that no-one else on this list has done. For us, he really is the outstanding candidate too, with his debut album a great message of intent for a truly talented artist.
Global Success
Mumford and Sons
Adele
One Direction
In this new category, the BRITS have found themselves the ideal three nominees, as this trio of artists couldn’t be more difficult in every aspect apart from their overseas love.
Despite all the awards that Mumford have have thrown at their feet though, we think that One Direction will be taking home this award. No other act has had such an incredible impact on pop culture like the teenage quintet has and with a truly global following, they might just deserve it.
British Single
With more nominees than you can actually count on both hands (or write out in full here), it seems as if the BRIT council just couldn’t help themselves this year. While that lack of self-control just gives us a bit of a headache, it also makes for an incredibly varied group.
Ranging from the romping ‘Skyfall’ to the DJ Fresh’s club banger ‘Hot Right Now’, this is a truly eclectic bunch.
For all the variation though, we think that Adele’s going to be very tough act to beat, with Bond having taken over the British consciousness last year and Adele’s theme song being widely heralded as the best one for years.
International Male
Bruce Springsteen
Gotye
Jack White
Michael Buble
Frank Ocean
While on first inspection there doesn’t appear to be a stand-out favourite in this category, a quick look over the past few winners in this category reveals a definite favourite. Over the last few years, the BRITS have tended to hand out this award to the world of hip-hop and R&B, with you having to go back all the way to the turn of the millennium to find a guitar based artist taking home the bacon, with Eminem, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake all winning on multiple occasions.
For one, we absolutely welcome this news, as we just can’t enough of Frank here at the FemaleFirst offices, naming Channel Orange the best album of 2012 and massively disappointed when he was snubbed for all the major awards at the Grammys.
International Female
Rihanna
Alicia Keys
Cat Power
Lana Del Rey
Taylor Swift
After an incredible year for her, we think this might the year for Lana Del Rey. Having scooped up the award for Best International Breakthrough Act last year, it’s clear that the judges at the BRITs have a soft spot of Lana and that good will may see her snatch another BRIT tonight.
However, we would be far from shocked if they decided to award the prize to Alicia Keys after her great return this year. Unfortunately for the Swifties out there, the chances of Taylor taking home the glory look quite slim, although not quite as remote as either Rihanna or Cat Power claiming the little statue for their own.
International Group
Alabama shakes
The Black Keys
Fun
The Killers
The Script
After their massively impressively haul of awards at the Grammys, The Black Keys are on a roll that we really can’t see being stopped this evening. Love for fun. is nowhere near as strong in the UK as it is in America and while The Alabama Shakes have the chops to go toe-to-toe with The Black Keys, they’re not quite yet at the level to hold them off for long.
The Script have cooled slightly since they first burst on to the scene too, leading to the Irish band being an outsider at best.
With the BRITs also having a tradition of giving the award to US rock bands, The Black Keys look a very good bet for victory.
British Album
Alt – J
Emeli Sande
Mumford and Sons
Paloma Faith
Plan B
This we think is a three way fight between Alt-J, Mumford and Sons and Emeli Sande. Sande’s was the big mass market success, easily selling the most copies of any album in 2012 and making Sande on of the most seen artists of the year. Mumford and Sons have been the most internationally successful with their record, winning the best album prize at the Grammys and has been a major commercial player in the UK too as well as being the band here to have real mass-market penetration before 2012, winning this award with their debut album two years ago. Alt-J might not have sales on the other hand have one major card in their hand, the Murcury Music Prize.
Despite the Leeds quartet might have the ear of the critics, Emeli Sande looks as if she’s going to blunt force her way to victory on the back of a boat load of sales. Sorry Paloma and Ben, but if either of you win, then it’ll be an upset worth of the BRIT history books.
Who do you think is going to scoop up the awards? Let us know in the comments section and make sure to watch the ceremony this evening to see it all unfold.