Brit Awards 2025 full nominations list as Charli XCX leads stars up for gongs

Singer Charli XCX has been nominated in five categories at the Brit Awards, while The Beatles are up for a gong for the first time in almost half a century

Charlie XCX has had a very successful year with Brat(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Pop sensation Charli XCX is smashing it with five nominations at the Brit Awards, while The Beatles could snag an award for the first time since the disco era in 1977. The British pop queen, 32, is riding high off an incredible year, clinching nods in the categories of artist of the year, best pop act, and best dance act, plus a golden ticket for album of the year with her sixth studio bombshell Brat.

The star's sizzling electronic-pop bangers rocketed up the charts, sparking the "brat summer" cultural wave that championed self-love, saucy fashion vibes, and positive body image. "Brat" clinched the title of 2024 Collins Word Of The Year, rebranded as embodying a bold, free-spirited, and pleasure-seeking zest.

She's set for a battle royale for the album of the year trophy, facing off with Dua Lipa’s hit machine Radical Optimism, Ezra Collective’s fresh platter Dance, No One’s Watching, The Last Dinner Party's spicy debut Prelude To Ecstasy, and Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure, who are rocking back after a 16-year hiatus.

Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr may get an award(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

It's a Brits comeback for The Cure, who bagged awards for best British video in 1990 and best British group in 1991 but haven't seen a nomination since '93 for their smash hit Friday I’m In Love.

Charli XCX has bagged a song of the year nomination for her smash hit Guess, featuring US sensation Billie Eilish, which previously received a Grammy nod for best pop duo performance. The new Beatles track Now And Then, penned and sung by John Lennon and later completed by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr with overdubs and guitar tracks by George Harrison, has also been nominated.

This marks the band’s first Brits nod since 1977, the inaugural year of the Brit Awards, when they scooped the best British album for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and were shortlisted for British single of the year for She Loves You. The Liverpool legends clinched the outstanding contribution award in 1983, although it's not a nominated award.

Dua Lipa could bag Song of the Year(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Other contenders for song of the year include 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 made the cut.

Pop sensation Lipa, jazz group Ezra Collective and up-and-comers The Last Dinner Party are next in line with four nominations each, while Smith has three nods after securing the 2025 rising star award last month. Lipa and Charli XCX will go head-to-head for the artist of the year award, alongside Central Cee, Fred Again.

The best new artist award will see Smith compete against indie band The Last Dinner Party, singer Chinouriri, Ezra Collective and English Teacher, the latter two having won the Mercury Prize in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The Last Dinner Party and Ezra Collective have also been nominated for group of the year, along with Coldplay, Bring Me The Horizon and The Cure.

Charli XCX Brat movement has dominated the past year(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

US superstars including Beyonce, Eilish, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift have been nominated for international artist of the year. They'll face off against US rappers Tyler, The Creator and Kendrick Lamar, Nigerian singer Asake and US singers Benson Boone and Adrianne Lenker for the award.

Hit songs by global stars are up for international song of the year, including Swift’s Fortnight featuring Post Malone, Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em, Roan’s Good Luck, Babe! , Eilish’s Birds Of A Feather and Carpenter’s Espresso. Fontaines DC, Linkin Park, Confidence Man, Amyl And The Sniffers, and Future and Metro Boomin are all contenders for international group of the year.

The nominations were unveiled on Thursday in a livestreamed event hosted by radio and TV presenter Sian Welby. For the first time, the public will be able to cast their votes in the five genre categories – alternative/rock act, dance act, hip-hop/grime/rap act, pop act and R&B act – via WhatsApp.

Comedian Jack Whitehall is set to return as the host of the Brit Awards on Saturday, March 1 at The O2 arena in London, with the event being broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX.