Final Countdown For Brit Awards

Singer James Blunt and rock band Kaiser Chiefs are hours away from hearing if they have triumphed at the Brit Awards.

Blunt - who shot to fame in 2005 with his chart-topper You're Beautiful - and Kaiser Chiefs are shortlisted for a total of five awards each. The Brit Award winners will be revealed at a ceremony at Earls Court in London, presented by DJ Chris Evans.

Coldplay, Kanye West, KT Tunstall and Hawaiian surfer-turned-singer Jack Johnson will perform during the show. Coldplay have been shortlisted in four categories, including the best group, album and single.

Pop veteran Madonna has picked up three nominations, along with Canadian band Arcade Fire.

Cartoon band Gorillaz, who will also be performing, have been shortlisted in the best British album and group categories.

Singer-songwriter Kate Bush will do battle with Charlotte Church, Katie Melua, KT Tunstall and Natasha Bedingfield in the best British female category.

And Robbie Williams could walk away with an unprecedented 16th Brit Award after being nominated for best British male.

Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys are nominated in the British breakthrough act category but are unable to attend the ceremony as they are on tour in Portsmouth.

Blunt, the Sugababes, crooner Tony Christie and X Factor winner Shayne Ward will go head-to-head in the best British single category, chosen by UK commercial radio listeners.

US singer Prince has flown into London for the show but has reportedly not decided whether to perform.

Figures released by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) ahead of the Brits showed artists like Blunt, Kaiser Chiefs and Coldplay had helped boost sales of albums by UK-based acts.

British artists sold a record 62.4m albums in 2005 - half of all albums bought in the UK last year.

But the popularity of US artists declined from 41.7% of the album market in 2004 to 37.7% in 2005.

BPI chairman Peter Jamieson said: "We are privileged to be living through an exciting time for UK music.

"It all means the Brit Awards show is shaping up to be one of the best yet."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk