Coldplay, Duffy lead BRIT Awards nominations

Will Duffy be Belle of the Ball?
Will Duffy be Belle of the Ball?

Can a pretty Welsh newcomer beat one of the world's biggest bands? That's the question as the nominations for the 2009 BRIT Awards have been announced, with Duffy and Coldplay leading with pack.

In the British Album category, both will go up against Radiohead's In Rainbows, Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid and The Ting Tings' We Started Nothing.

With her breakout song Mercy, Duffy will also be pitted against Coldplay's Viva La Vida for British Single. (Joe Satriani could be watching this race closely.)

Whoever wins, it's clearly a big year for the 24-year-old Duffy, who has also been tipped for Best Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

This year's ceremony will take place on 18 February at Earl's Court in London and will be presented by Kylie Minogue, James Corden and Matthew Horne. Performers will include U2, Kings of Leon and Girls Aloud.

For the complete list of nominees, visit the official BRIT Awards website.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.