FRANZ FERDINAND - FRANZ LEAD BRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

Scottish band FRANZ FERDINAND lead the nominations for this year's (05) BRIT AWARDS with five nods.

The TAKE ME OUT rockers - who scored widespread acclaim for their MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE winning debut album last year (04) - will be competing in the Best British Group, Best British Album, Best Breakthrough Act, Best British Rock Act and Best British Live Act categories.

KASABIAN, KEANE, THE STREETS, JAMELIA, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD and SNOW PATROL have three nominations each, while THE LIBERTINES, JOSS STONE, LEMAR and JAMIE CULLUM have all be honoured with two nods apiece.

Reacting to Franz Ferdinand's five nominations, singer ALEX KAPRANOS said, "We're pretty chuffed to be nominated for so many categories. It's a wee bit unbelievable if you think about what we were up to a year ago. It means a lot to us to have come this far with a small British independent label like DOMINO. It makes you realise that the rules are what you make them."

LIVE AID organiser SIR BOB GELDOF has been picked to receive the Outstanding Contribution To Music prize.

The 9 February (05) event at London's Earls Court has been dubbed BRITs25 - to mark the prize-giving bash's 25th successive year.

The Brit Awards nominations are as follows:

British Male Solo Artist:

JAMIE CULLUM

LEMAR

MORRISSEY

THE STREETS

WILL YOUNG

British Female Solo Artist:

AMY WINEHOUSE

JAMELIA

JOSS STONE

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

PJ HARVEY

British Group:

FRANZ FERDINAND

KASABIAN

KEANE

MUSE

SNOW PATROL

Mastercard British Album:

FRANZ FERDINAND - FRANZ FERDINAND

KEANE - HOPES AND FEARS

MUSE - ABSOLUTION

SNOW PATROL - FINAL STRAW

THE STREETS - A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE

British Single:

BAND AID 20 - DO THEY KNOW ITS CHRISTMAS?

JAMELIA - THANK YOU

LMC VS U2 - TAKE ME TO THE CLOUDS ABOVE

SHAPESHIFTERS - LOLA'S THEME

WILL YOUNG - YOUR GAME

British Breakthrough Act:

FRANZ FERDINAND

JOSS STONE

KEANE

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

THE ZUTONS

British Urban Act:

DIZZEE RASCAL

JAMELIA

JOSS STONE

LEMAR

THE STREETS

British Rock Act:

FRANZ FERDINAND

KASABIAN

MUSE

SNOW PATROL

THE LIBERTINES

British Live Act:

FRANZ FERDINAND

JAMIE CULLUM

KASABIAN

MUSE

THE LIBERTINES

Brits25 : The Best Song Award:

JOY DIVISION - LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

KATE BUSH - WUTHERING HEIGHTS

QUEEN - WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

ROBBIE WILLIAMS - ANGELS

WILL YOUNG - LEAVE RIGHT NOW

Pop Act:

AVRIL LAVIGNE

GIRLS ALOUD

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

MCFLY

WESTLIFE

International Male Solo Artist:

BRIAN WILSON

EMINEM

KANYE WEST

TOM WAITS

USHER

International Female Solo Artist:

ALICIA KEYS

ANASTACIA

GWEN STEFANI

KELIS

KYLIE MINOGUE

International Group:

GREEN DAY

MAROON 5

OUTKAST

SCISSOR SISTERS

U2

International Album:

KILLERS - HOT FUSS

MAROON 5 - SONGS ABOUT JANE

OUTKAST - SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW

SCISSOR SISTERS - SCISSOR SISTERS

U2 - HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB

International Breakthrough Act:

JET

KANYE WEST

KILLERS

MAROON 5

SCISSOR SISTERS

Outstanding Contribution To Music:

SIR BOB GELDOF.

10/01/2005 21:31