- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH POP INDUSTRY ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR BRIT AWARDS
- Date: 8th January 1996
- Summary: (REUTERS TELEVISION) BURGER READING OUT NOMINATIONS FOR BEST ALBUM BY A BRITISH ARTIST
- Embargoed: 23rd January 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM AND VIDEO LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVACFB8G7Q455R6INMHL1OCCVDNP
- Story Text: The British pop industry on Monday (January 8) announced the nominations for the Brit Awards, recognising the achievements of its home-grown talent in 1995. It was the most successful year for a decade for British bands, who accounted almost half of the top 100 hits in the United Kingdom.
The so-called "Britpop" phenomenon is the product of innovative new bands like Supergrass, Pulp, Radiohead and arch rivals Blur and Oasis.
Whilst recognition for these groups in the United States has so far proved elusive, there are signs that world fame may not be too far away. Brit Awards chairman Paul Burger, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Records, sounded an optimistic note in a speech at a news conference where he announced the nominations.
"The British music industry has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance over the past year and that success which has translated so strongly here is beginning to translate overseas", Burger said.
The Brit Awards will be presented on February 19 in a star-studded television special that will be broadcast the following day in the United Kingdom. The show has also been sold to broadcasters overseas, including the American television network ABC, and an album and video will also be released featuring the winning artists.
An academy of music business executives, artists and journalists choose most of the final awards, except for best single and video which are voted for by music fans.
As expected, Blur and Oasis are lead the field of nominees, with with five nominations apiece, followed by Pulp with four.
Blur were big winners at last year's Brit Awards, carrying off awards for Best Group, Best Album, Best Single and Best video. They are nominated in the same categories this year. They have seldom been out of the spotlight since their initial success, hitting number one with their fourth album "The Great Escape" and the single "Country House".
Oasis won last year's Best Newcomer prize. They lived up to their promise in 1995 with the million-selling album "(What's The Story) Morning Glory" and had a pair of number two singles, "Roll With It" and Wonderwall.
Pulp, fronted by their charismatic singer Jarvis Cocker, also had their breakthrough last year with the number one album, "Different Class". Two singles from the album hit the number two spot, "Common People" and "Sorted For E's and Wizz", a song that aroused considerable controversy for its references to drugs.
Strong candidates for Best Newcomer this year are Supergrass.
They have already had four hit singles, the most successful of which was "Alright", which reached number two in the British charts last summer. Their debut album "I Should Coco" went straight to number one. A new single is due for a February release, followed by a UK tour.
Despite the emphasis on new, young bands in the nominations, wrinkly rockers the Rolling Stones are also in the running for the award for Best British Video, for the appropriately-titled cover of the Bob Dylan song, "Like A Rolling Stone".
A surprise nomination for Best British Female Solo Artist went to violinist Vanessa-Mae. She had a top 20 hit with her classical-pop crossover version of Bach's "Toccata And Fugue", which also penetrated the United States dance chart. Her "Violin Player" album was a hit in 20 countries.
In the Best International Male Solo Artist category, rapper Coolio was nominated after his British chart success with double platinum hit "Gangsta's Paradise". Speaking to Reuters Television after the nominations announcements, he couldn't resist mentioning his latest single, "Too Hot", which was released in the United Kingdom on Monday (January 8). The song is a cover of Kool and the Gang's vintage hit, and the original track is sampled on the Coolio version, with the addition of guest vocals by Kool's James "JT" Taylor. "Too Hot" is an anecdotal tale of safe sex in the age of AIDS.
"I tried to be really graphic," Coolio said, "I tried to almost scare people. whatever's necessary to get the point across that we have to start practising safe sex, that's the important thing".
This year's Brit Awards will also add a new prize, remembering Freddie Mercury, the Queen singer who died of Aids in 1991. The Freddie Mercury Award is for artists or organisations who have made extraordinary efforts for charity.
The full Brit Awards nominations are: Best British Group: Blur; Lightning Seeds; Oasis; Pulp; Radiohead.
Best Album by a British Artist: Blur's The Great Escape; Oasis's (What's The Story) Morning Glory?; Pulp's Different Class; Radiohead's The Bends; and Paul Weller's Stanley Road.
Best British Female Solo Artist: PJ Harvey; Annie Lennox; Vanessa Mae; Shara Nelson; Joan Armatrading.
Best British Dance Act: Eternal; Leftfield; Massive Attack; M People; Tricky.
Best British Male Solo Artist: Edwyn Collins; Van Morrison; Jimmy Nail; Tricky; Paul Weller.
Best British Producer: Brian Eno (David Bowie); Nellee Hooper (Bjork); John Leckie (Radiohead); Owen Morrison and Noel Gallagher (Oasis); Stephen Street (Blur).
Best British Newcomer: Black Grape; Cast; Elastica; Supergrass; Tricky.
Best British Video: Country House by Blur; Universal by Blur; Protection by Massive Attack; Wonderwall by Oasis; Common People by Pulp; Just by Radiohead; Like A Rolling Stone by the Rolling Stones; Fairground by Simply Red; Alright by Supergrass; and Back For Good by Take That.
Best British Single: Blur's Country House; Edwyn Collins's Girl Like You; Everything But The Girl's 'Missing'; Annie Lennox's No More I Love You's; Oasis's Some Might Say and Wonderwall; Pulp's Common People; Simply Red's Fairground; Supergrass's Alright; and Take That's Back For Good.
Best International Male Solo Artist: Coolio; Lenny Kravitz; Meatloaf; Artist formerly known as Prince; Neil Young.
Best International Female Solo Artist: Bjork; Mariah Carey; Celine Dion; kd lang; Alanis Morissette.
Best International Group: Bon Jovi; Foo Fighters; Garbage; Green Day; TLC.
Best International Newcomer: Tina Arena; Boyzone; Foo Fighters; Garbage; Alanis Morissette.
Best Soundtrack or Cast Recording: Batman Forever; Braveheart; Muriel's Wedding; Natural Born Killers; Waiting to Exhale. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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