Britain’s biggest music awards ceremony is facing online backlash after releasing its male-dominated list of nominees for 2020.
Two of the top categories in this year’s Brit Awards, which are due to take place in London in February, have no female nominees, sparking a wave of online criticism.
The five nominees in the highly coveted Album of the Year prize are all male solo artists, with Stormzy, Lewis Capaldi and Harry Styles all receiving nods. While the Group of the Year category is also male dominated, with no female-led bands including.
Mabel is the only female artist including in the New Artist of the Year category, one of three awards she is nominated for. The nominees for Song of the Year are also heavily male-led.
In total, just four of the non-gender specific nominations out of a possible 25 went to women. The list, which was released on Saturday, has been widely criticised online.
"Such a shame that the non-gender-specific categories are dominated by male artists. Album of the Year has FIVE male names and no female. 2020, a year for equality and improvement? Not if the BRIT Awards have anything to do with it...", wrote one Twitter user.
Another said, “The Brit awards and the UK music industry have an indefensible women problem. Every male nominee better speak up.”
The controversy comes after the Brit awards underwent a major overhaul in 2017 to make it more diverse and gender balanced, adding hundreds of new members to the judging pool.
In 2018, the nominees were far more evenly balanced, with Dua Lipa and Anne-Marie leading the way with nominations. Neither feature of this year’s list.
Instead, leading the way are Lewis Capaldi, who has four nominations, and rappers Stormzy and Dave who have three nods each.
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees:
Group of the Year
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
Female Solo Artist
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
Male Solo Artist
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
New Artist of the Year
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Song of the Year
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don't Care
Mabel - Don't Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag'n'Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International Female Solo Artist
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International Male Solo Artist
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Mastercard Album of the Year
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
