In the running for four Brits but can Capaldi outshine grime?
SCOTS singing sensation Lewis Capaldi and rapper Dave lead the nominations in a Brit Awards shortlist heavily dominated by male artists.
Glaswegian Capaldi has secured four nods in the categories of male solo artist, song of the year for Someone You Loved, new artist of the year and best album.
He is pitted against Mercury Prize-winning grime artist Dave in all four categories.
Stormzy and Mabel are the second most-nominated artists, with three apiece.
But Ed Sheeran is largely frozen out, receiving just a single nomination for the awards, which will be presented on February 18 at the O2 Arena in London,
His duet with Justin Bieber, I Don’t Care, is up for best single.
This year’s nominations come after the Brits’ voting academy underwent a major overhaul in 2017 to make it more genderbalanced and diverse, with hundreds of new members invited to join the pool. Among the women, Mabel is up for the best new artist and best song gongs, while Normani and Miley Cyrus have both collaborated on tracks which are also nominated for best song.
Only four nominations out of a possible 25 in the categories which are not gender-specific feature women. There are no female performers on the shortlists for best group or album awards. The last female artist to win best album was Adele, whose third record, 25, scooped the top prize in 2016.
Capaldi is a strong contender for best album. His debut, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, was the best-selling record of last year, propelled by the success of his single, Someone You Loved.