Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Celeste lead race for UK’s Brit Awards

LONDON — Singer-songwriters Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks and Celeste lead the competition for the Brit Awards, with a trio of nominations apiece for the U.K. music prizes.

The three British women were nominated for best female solo artist and album of the year on Wednesday. Lipa is also up for best British single, for “Physical.” Parks and Celeste – who has an Academy Award nomination for “Hear My Voice,” from the film “The Trial of the Chicago 7” – are contenders for the breakthrough artist trophy.

Other triple nominees on the list are DJ Joel Corry and rap duo Young T & Bugsey.

Winners are due to be announced May 11 during a ceremony featuring live musical performances and a limited, socially distanced audience at London’s O2 Arena. The event is set to be one of the first awards shows to be held in person since the coronavirus pandemic began more than a year ago.

The Brits are a slick showcase for British talent, but the nominations have been criticized in the past for failing to reflect the diversity of U.K. music. In 2017, the academy of more than 1,000 music industry professionals that chooses the winners was expanded in an attempt to make it more gender-balanced and diverse.

Nonetheless, last year the show was criticized for failing to recognize women, with no female performers included on the shortlist for album of the year. This year, that category includes four female acts: Parks, Celeste, Lipa and Jessie Ware. J Hus is the only male performer nominated.

The Associated Press