The nominees have been announced for this year's Brit Awards, which will be presented live in a ceremony on ITV on the 19th February. The annual awards celebrate the year's biggest British music stars, in a competition that is as hotly contested as ever after a thrilling year in music.

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Bastille and Disclosure have emerged as the early front-runners after netting four nominations apiece and will go head-to-head in the Mastercard British Album of the Year, British Breakthrough Act, British Single and British Group categories. Though both groups have enjoyed rocketing to success this year, Disclosure and their album Settle may have the edge due to having been also nominated for last year's Mercury Music Prize.

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The two acts are followed closely by Ellie Goulding and Rudimental who are up for three awards each after similarly successful years. Ellie is nominated for two awards within the same category, the year's best single, after a jet-setting year in pop collaborations

Next in line is the year's big comeback artist, David Bowie, and rockers Arctic Monkeys, both of whom also missed out on the Mercury Prize after being nominated. David Bowie could be a safe bet to win the best British Male Solo Artist gong, despite being up against the strong talent of Mercury Prize winner James Blake, Tom Odell, John Newman and Jake Bugg.

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However, the awards female counterpart looks harder to pick a front-runner from with relatively new artists Birdy and Laura Mvula up against the pop power of Ellie Goulding, the songwriting prowess of Laura Marling and the constant exposure of Jessie J.

There are few surprises in the eagerly anticipated best British Group category, with One Direction and Arctic Monkeys joining Rudimental, Bastille and Disclosure in the fight to be crown the country's favourite music artist. Arctic Monkeys will also kick off the awards with a live performance direct from London's O2 Arena.

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Though the international categories couldn't possibly take into account all the top albums from worldwide, there have been a few surprises regarding the international artists who were named. Janelle Monae, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lorde and P!nk each earn a very deserved place in the runnings for best International Female Solo Artist but the likes of Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé were interestingly left out.

In a similar fashion, the corresponding male award remembers Bruno Mars, Drake, Eminem, John Grant and Justin Timberlake but equally forgets performers such as Robin Thicke, Jay Z and Kanye West. Meanwhile, the international group award may need to be sawed up into five pieces with Haim, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Kings of Leon each vying for victory in an impossibly hard-fought category.

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One of the Brits' most prestigious awards, the best British Single, will see ten pop artists battle it out for their track to be voted the year's greatest.

The List Of Nominated Singles:

Bastille - Pompeii

Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love

Disclosure Ft AlunaGeorge - White Noise

Ellie Goulding - Burn

John Newman - Love Me Again

Naughty Boy Ft Sam Smith - La La La

Olly Murs - Dear Darlin'

One Direction - One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)

Passenger - Let Her Go

Rudimental Ft Ella Eyre - Waiting All Night

The Brit Awards will be broadcast live on Wednesday 19th February at 8pm on ITV.