The BRIT Awards 2012 Nominations: Reflection Of British Music?

This year's Brit Awards nominees were not exactly the hardest to predict. With Ed Sheeran, Adele and Jessie J up for the most awards, the nominees reads like a listing of the industry’s big wigs 'whose who 'and it is a little less than one dimensional.

Earlier in the week we took a look at who was likely to be nominated, who should be and who will probably win. Hitting the mark on the British Album of the Year and the Best British Group categories we think that while some are deserving, others are bordering on a joke.

First under scrutiny is Ed Sheean. Releasing his debut album + (plus) in September of last year the singer songwriter can hardly claim to be a long running British institute within the music industry, deserving of four Brit Award nominations. Nominated for British Solo Artist,

British Breakthrough Act, British Single and the Mastercard British Album of the Year, Ed Sheeran has struck gold in all the big categories of the award show. Whether you like his music or not, the question begs that can a star who has been around for less than six months really be the best thing in British music? If the answer is, as the Brit Awards would have us believe, a hollering yes, than surely we should be more worried about the ever decaying state of British music.

It would seem that even Mr Sheeran himself is surprised at the amount of awards he has been nominated for, speaking to the Press Association he stated "I guess every artist would want to win the album one, but I think Adele will win it because 21 is incredible".  With an album that has stuck at the number one spot for nineteen weeks, Adele is set to make her live comeback with a performance at this years award show after an illness that has seen her pull out of numerous tour dates. The smart money would be on Adele to win Master Card Album of the Year, while her other categories, British Female Solo Artist and British Single, hold strong competition from Florence and the Machine and Jessie J who also have multiple nominations at this years awards.

Despite this years Brit's being over-run with big name, mainstream pop acts, there has also been a nod to an alternative music scene. Winner of last years British Female Solo award, Laura Marling, has again been nominated for the prestigious title however faces tougher competition this year from, you guessed it, Adele, Jessie J and the ever endearing Florence and the Machine. Another solo female artist to be up for an award is name of the moment Lana Del Rey in the International Breakthrough Act category.

While we are all totally in love with the kooky America star, to be nominated as a contender for International Breakthrough Act without a debut album or tour to remark upon, it would seem those rumours towards her somewhat manufactured rise to stardom might hold more truth that originally thought. Bon Iver are to rival the pouty lipped songstress in the International Breakthrough Act category,  and also hold a place for International Solo Artist, although how the people behind the Brit's worked out a nine piece band are a solo effort is a
little past us.

Keeping it state side it would seem Foo Fighters might as well start preparing their acceptance speech for International Group while the girls should start sharpening their nails for the cat fight that is International Female Artist. With Beyonce, Bjork, Lady Gaga and Rihanna all up for the award ,predicting the outcome is tricky. Beyonce has had an amazing year with her album '4' and a performance at Glastonbury that turned a lot of new heads to her music. Rihanna, however, makes for a safe bet with a confirmed performance at the award show next month.

Back to things on this side of the pond, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian are, as suspected, up for British Group while The Vaccines are a real contender for British Breakthrough Act if Ed Sheeran doesn't have his wicked way. It might seem unlikely that any of these bands will win their categories given the competition, but lets just remember that last year Arcade Fire walked away with two awards, and both Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons were winners too.

While most of the Brit Award nominations for this year seem like easy pickings for those in charge, some great guitar bands have also been put forward. At first look the Brit's seems to be a list of the usual suspects of British chart music, however a little glimmer of light for those who like to dig a little deeper when discovering new music can be seen shining.