'The BRITs Are Coming' Nominations Show

On 12 January at 5pm on ITV, Clara Amfo will host 'The BRITs Are Coming' - a one hour TV special which will exclusively reveal the much anticipated nominations for The BRIT Awards 2019, reflecting on yet another incredible year for British and international music.

Alongside the shortlist reveal, including the highly sought after Mastercard British Album of the Year, the show will feature exclusive performances by some of the UK’s most exciting music acts: Little Mix, George Ezra, Jess Glynne, Not3s & Mabel, and the winner of the 2019 Critics’ Choice award Sam Fender, who will be presented with his award on the show.

Clara Amfo said: “I am delighted to be hosting ‘The BRITs Are Coming’. I’ve enjoyed the awards since I was a kid, so getting to be part of the excitement with the audience feels great and I can’t wait to find out which acts have been nominated in 2019.”

BRITs Chairman and Chairman & CEO of Sony Music UK & Ireland Jason Iley said: “I am delighted that Clara has agreed to host our nominations show for 2019, she is a fantastic presenter and broadcaster, and the perfect choice for our new prime-time Saturday slot. The line-up is a true reflection of the best of British music right now and I am excited to see the performances as we announce the nominations for next year’s BRITs.” 

One of the UK’s most formidable girl groups, Little Mix have achieved five UK Top Ten albums and 13 Top Ten singles, making them one of the UK’s biggest selling girl bands of all time. Winning ‘Best British Single’ at the 2017 BRITs for ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ where they also performed, they recently released their fifth studio album 'LM5' which included the hit single ‘Woman Like Me’ featuring Nicki Minaj. 

George Ezra has had a phenomenal year; scoring his first chart topping single in the UK, Ireland and Australia with ‘Shotgun’, taken from his second studio album 'Staying at Tamara’s' which followed his debut 'Wanted On Voyage' to No. 1 in the UK Album Charts, and becoming the best selling artist album of 2018. A four time BRIT nominee, he launched his successful George Ezra & Friends podcast series earlier this year with guests including Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Lily Allen and Niall Horan all taking part over the past few months.

Jess Glynne burst onto the scene as a featured artist on No. 1 singles for Clean Bandit and Route 94 but has since established herself as one of the UK’s best selling artists, with her two albums hitting the top spot in the UK, and a string of hit singles including ‘Hold My Hand’, ‘I’ll Be There’ and ‘All I Am’, becoming the first British female artist to have seven No. 1 singles in the UK singles chart.

London rapper Not3s and 2018 BRITs Critics’ Choice shortlisted artist Mabel are two of the hottest young music acts in the UK right now, with two Top 20 single collaborations: the 2017 Mabel remix of Not3s’ ‘My Lover’, and Mabel feat. Not3s’ ‘Fine Line’ from this year.

As announced last month, North Shields singer songwriter Sam Fender is the 2019 Critics’ Choice award winner and he will perform live on ‘The BRITs Are Coming’ as well as be presented with his award. His EP ‘Dead Boys’ was recorded in his warehouse studio just a stone’s throw from the River Tyne, and having toured the UK and Europe he has built himself a loyal army of fans.

Clara Amfo is best known for her 10am-1pm BBC Radio 1 show, and its world famous Live Lounge slot. Her show has seen her interview the world’s most prolific artists from Jay-Z, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams to name but a few.  She was also the host of the iconic BBC Radio 1 Chart Show - the second woman to do so since the show first started in 1967. A respected face on our screens, last year saw Clara co-hosting Top Of The Pops Christmas, a bucket list job making her the first new host of the show in over a decade. Clara has been the host of the ITV2 coverage of The BRIT Awards for two years, in 2018 handing out awards at the ceremony for Best International Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. 

The BRIT Awards 2019 with Mastercard takes place Wednesday 20th February at The O2 Arena, London, exclusively broadcast on ITV and hosted by Jack Whitehall. The winners awards have been designed by acclaimed architect Sir David Adjaye OBE. 

(George Ezra photo credit: Adam Scarborough)