2006 Brit Award Nominations

Sordid Pop Addicts will already have the scoop, but casual popsters may have missed the Brit Award nominations on January 10, 2006. The Brits once again put out a handsome spread with tasty performances from the Kaiser Chiefs, Magic Numbers, and KT Tunstall.

The Brits are the UK's hugely superior version of the Grammy Awards. The nomination categories are so chalk solid, it's hard to know in advance who will win. And Brit performances are legendary. Wake up you Grammy poofters!

Last years Brits produced a truly "animated" performance by Gorillaz. Other years have erupted with surprise duets by artists like Justin Timberlake and Kylie Minogue grinding out a lusty cover of Blondie's "Rapture" and David Bowie and Placebo thrashing out a high octane rendition of T-Rex's "21st Century Boy." Stay tuned for the scoop on this year's duets.

Nominations are presented in 15 categories. Here are a few of my picks.

British Male Solo Artist: Ian Brown
British Female Solo Artist: Charlotte Church
British Group: Hard-Fi (but I bet Coldplay wins)
British Album: Gorillaz, Demon Days
British Single: Tony Christie ft. Peter Kay, (Is This The Way To) Amarillo
British Breakthrough Act: Kaiser Chiefs (but Arctic Monkeys could be the dark horse)

You can tell that the Brits are in the cool by the inclusion of 3 nominations for uber hip Canadians Arcade Fire (International Group, International Album and International Breakthrough Act).

This Year, Paul Weller, of The Jam and Style Council, receives a lifetime achievement award. In North America those awards usually go to the has-beens. Paul Weller continues to produce music like he's on fire (3 singles in the last year). Maybe its their way of saying "the sex is over Paul, now roll over and die already." Or maybe, just maybe, the Brits don't think you have to be dead to say "Good show mate!"

The Brits will be presented Wednesday, February 15 and televised on Thursday, February 16. You can check out all the nominations and news about the Brits at www.brits.co.uk