Charli XCX has cemented her status as pop royalty, leading the pack at the 2025 Brit Awards with five nominations, while The Beatles are up for a prize for the first time since 1977.
The Von Dutch hitmaker’s critically acclaimed album Brat shook the charts, debuting at No. 2 before climbing to the top spot three months after its release.
The infectious electronic-pop tracks on the album soared up the charts and inspired a trend, with fans embracing the “brat summer” cultural movement which promoted self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices. “Brat” was named the 2024 Collins Word Of The Year, redefined as “characterised by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude”.
The album, which also earned her a Mercury Prize nod, has propelled Charli into five Brit categories: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Dance Act, Pop Act, and Song of the Year for her hit single Guess featuring Billie Eilish.
Seven-time Brit winner Dua Lipa is not far behind with four nominations, while last year’s Rising Star recipients The Last Dinner Party and jazz ensemble Ezra Collective also earned four noms each. All three and Charli are up for Album of the Year alongside The Cure, who are nominated for three awards, making it one of the most hotly contested categories of the night.
It is the first time The Cure, also nominated in the group of the year category, have been recognised at the Brit Awards in more than three decades. They won best British video in 1990 and best British group in 1991, with their last nomination in 1993 in the video category for Friday I’m In Love.
The Last Dinner Party, who are also nominated for Alternative/Rock Act, Best New Artist, and Group of the Year, described their multiple nods as affirming. “It makes you realise you’re not screaming into a void,” they said during the live nominations broadcast. “There’s someone out there listening.”
Ezra Collective, recognised in the same categories, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the recognition. “The spirit and energy we started this band with all those years ago is still here,” they said. “To have accolades alongside that is a real gift.”
Alongside The Cure, this year’s Rising Star recipient Myles Smith and British rapper Central Cee have been nominated for three awards each. While DJ and producer Fred Again.., Stormzy, Coldplay, singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, Beabadoobee, Rachel Chinouriri and Nia Archives all received two nominations each.
Charli XCX has also received a song of the year nomination for her hit Guess featuring US superstar Billie Eilish, which received a Grammy nod for best pop duo performance last year.
The new Beatles song Now And Then, which was written and sung by John Lennon and later finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr using overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison, has been nominated as well.
It is the band’s first Brits nod since 1977, the year of the first Brit Awards, when they won best British album for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and were nominated for British single of the year for She Loves You. The Liverpool band won the outstanding contribution award in 1983, but it is not a nominated award.
Other tracks vying for song of the year are Lipa’s Training Season, Coldplay’s Feelslikeimfallinginlove, Jade Thirlwall’s Angel Of My Dreams, KSI’s Thick Of It featuring Trippie Redd, Myles Smith’s Stargazing and Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas to Me.
Stormzy and Chase & Status’s collaboration on Backbone, Alibi by Ella Henderson featuring Rudimental, Kehlani by Jordan Adetunji, Central Cee and Lil Baby’s Band4band, Artemas’s I Like the Way You Kiss Me, Bl3ss and Camrin Watsin’s Kisses featuring bbyclose and Somedays by D.O.D., Jazzy and Sonny Fodera have also been nominated.
In the international categories, women dominated. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Billie Eilish all scored two nominations each for International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year. Rising star Benson Boone joins them in both categories, while Kendrick Lamar, Adrianne Lenker, Asake and Tyler, The Creator round off the nominees for International Artist of the Year.
Interestingly Noah Kahan earned a second nomination for Stick Season. Notably, the track reappeared in this year’s race based on its best eight weeks of sales within the eligibility period - so will it be second time lucky for the American singer-songwriter? Meanwhile, former Brits winners, Fontaines D.C. battled it out against Linkin Park, Amyl and The Sniffers, Confidence Man and Future and Metro Boomin for International Group of the Year.
See the full list of nominations for the 2025 Brit Awards below.
Song of the Year
Artemas, I Like the Way You Kiss Me
The Beatles, Now and Then
BL3SS and CamrinWatsin, Kisses
Central Cee, Band for Band
Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish, Guess
Chase & Status and Stormzy, Backbone
Coldplay, Feels Like I'm Falling in Love
Dua Lipa, Training Season
Ella Henderson feat. Rudimental, Alibi
Jade, Angel of My Dreams
Jordan Adetunji, Kehlani
KSI feat. Trippie Redd, Thick of It
Myles Smith, Stargazing
Sam Ryder, You're Christmas to Me
D.O.D., Jazzy, and Sonny Fodera, Somedays
Best New Artist
English Teacher
Ezra Collective
The Last Dinner Party
Myles Smith
Rachel Chinouriri
Artist of the Year
Beabadoobee
Central Cee
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Fred Again..
Jamie XX
Michael Kiwanuka
Nia Archives
Rachel Chinouriri
Sam Fender
Group of the Year
Bring Me The Horizon
Coldplay
The Cure
Ezra Collective
The Last Dinner Party
International Group of the Year
Amyl and The Sniffers
Confidence Man
Fontaines D.C.
Future and Metro Boomin
Linkin Park
Alternative / Rock Act
Beabadoobee
The Cure
Ezra Collective
The Last Dinner Party
Sam Fender
Dance Act
Becky Hill
Charli XCX
Chase & Status
Fred Again..
Nia Archives
R&B Act
Cleo Soul
Flo
Jorja Smith
Michael Kiwanuka
Raye
Pop Act
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Jade
Lola Young
Myles Smith
Hip Hop / Rap / Grime Act
Central Cee
Dave
Ghetts
Little Simz
Stormzy
International Artist of the Year
Adrianne Lenker
Asake
Benson Boone
Beyoncé
Billie Eilish
Chappell Roan
Kendrick Lamar
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Tyler, The Creator
International Song of the Year
Benson Boone, Beautiful Things
Beyoncé, Texas Hold ‘Em
Billie Eilish, Birds of a Feather
Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe
Djo, End of Beginning
Eminem, Houdini
Hozier, Too Sweet
Jack Harlow, Lovin’ on Me
Noah Kahan, Stick Season
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen, I had some help
Sabrina Carpenter, Espresso
Shaboozey, Tipsy
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, Fortnight
Teddy Swims, Lose Control
Tommy Richman, Million Dollar Baby
Album of the Year
Charli XCX, Brat
The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism
Ezra Collective, Dance, Noone’s Watching
The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
The Brit Awards 2025 take place at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, March 1.
