Harry Styles leads Brit Award nominations as no females make Artist of the Year list

IT was a decision made to promote diversity and not segregate artists by gender.

But the introduction of the Brit Awards’ gender-neutral Artist of the Year gong to replace the Best Male and Best Female categories has backfired – as all five nominees for next month’s ceremony are blokes.

As the full list of nominations was revealed this afternoon it became clear that no women at all are up for the biggest prize of the night.

Rappers Stormzy and Central Cee, DJ and producer Fred Again, and singers George Ezra and Harry Styles fill the category.

That means no look-in for women including Charli XCX, Adele or Becky Hill – all of whom had hit singles or albums in the UK in 2022.

The nomination helped propel As It Was singer Harry to the front of the pack, as he is up for four prizes along with indie duo Wet Leg.

Harry, who has won two Brits as a solo artist and seven with One Direction, is nominated in the Best Pop/R&B Act category, while As It Was is up for Song of the Year and Harry’s House is in the running for Album of the Year.

Wet Leg’s self-titled debut is also up for Album of the Year, while other nods come in the Group of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Rock/Alternative Act categories.

Close behind are The 1975, Stormzy and Fred Again with three each.

Newcomer Cat Burns, best known for her hit Go, also has three after being nominated for the Rising Star Award, although girl band Flo have already been announced as the recipient.

The Brits first introduced gender-neutral categories in 2022 amid growing pressure from acts including Sam Smith, who identifies as non-binary.

The Unholy singer said having specific awards for males or females left them excluded.

Last year, Adele triumphed over Ed Sheeran but it raises concerns that women could continue to be shut out of the top prize.

Music industry sources insist the nominations are a reflection of the business – and suggest it is a sign that more women ought to be championed by record labels in the UK.

In 2022, Charli XCX and Florence & The Machine were the only British female solo artists to top the album charts.

Eliza Rose and Kate Bush were the only ones to score No1s on the singles chart – although the latter was with a song released 38 years ago, Running Up That Hill.

However there is good news for the ladies in the international categories.

Beyonce, Lizzo and Taylor Swift are each up for two awards, as they are all nominated in the International Artist and Song of the Year categories.

The ceremony will air on ITV live from London’s O2 Arena on February 11 — the first time it has taken place on a Saturday.
Only time will tell whether the ladies are paid their dues on the night.