British Single Award Goes Live

For the first time in its history the BRIT Awards with MasterCard will feature a LIVE vote in 2007 as viewers are invited to choose the winner of The British Single category during the live TV broadcast.

Viewers will be able to vote during the two-hour long telecast for their favourite of the five shortlisted singles with the winner announced at the end of the show.

And in a unique collaboration with commercial radio, the final shortlist of five will be selected from a long list of 10 in a vote off by listeners of the hit40uk, A-List and Fresh 40 charts. BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson said, "We have a longstanding and close relationship with commercial radio and we're delighted to be working with them on this BRITs first."

This year the British Single award was won by Coldplay's 'Speed of Sound'.

The nominations for the 27th BRIT Awards will be unveiled at the Hammersmith Palais in London on Tuesday, 16 January 2007. The launch will be televised live on ITV2 as part of "The BRITs are coming" programming. Both media and artists alike will discover who has been included in the most-talked-about nominations list of the year. Guests at the launch will be treated to three exclusive live performances from some of the hottest musical talent around. Details to be announced shortly.

Key to the prestige of The BRIT Awards 2007 with MasterCard is the fact that alongside categories chosen by the public, it also includes awards decided by The BRIT Awards Voting Academy.

The Academy is made up of 1000 specially invited members from different sectors of the music industry. Only 6% of the academy is represented by the major record labels and their associated companies, with the remaining 94% coming from Independent record companies, retailers, music critics & music press, music TV and Radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, concert promoters & venues, NUS representatives and DJ's.

The BRIT Awards is the only UK show from which all the proceeds are donated to charity. Millions have been raised over the years for its beneficiaries, which include The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. Over 7,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the school since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the phenomenal music therapy work carried out by Nordoff Robbins.

The BRIT Awards

Nominations Launch -Hammersmith Palais on Tues. 16 January 2007

BRIT Awards with MasterCard Earls Court - Weds 14 February 2007, ITV1

More on this and an Outstanding Achievement award for Oasis here