Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande and The Beatles are among artists who either did better or worse than expected.
Ariana Grande
Katia Temkin
By the time the BRITs ceremony took place in March 2024, the future of the U.K. scene’s musical identity appeared to be on the line. Raye may have scooped a deserved six awards that night – a new record for the most in a single year – but the path ahead was unclear: Who would step up and take British music to the world again?
It was Charli XCX who took the baton and raced away with it. She’s been rewarded with five nominations at 2025’s ceremony, with Dua Lipa not far behind with four nods – surely a relief after Radical Optimism missed out at this year’s Grammys. Both could be big winners on the night.
Elsewhere, rock titans added to their illustrious histories at the awards, with Coldplay and The Cure landing nominations in a number of categories. Upstarts English Teacher and Lola Young also landed placements in key categories, showcasing a brighter future for British music heading into 2025.
There are a number of head scratchers, however. While no acts are guaranteed berths, to see someone such as Ariana Grande receive no nominations in a year where she was dominant in the world of music and film is something of a surprise. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was named the Billboard staff’s Song of the Year in 2024, but to the BRITs Voting Academy it appears to have not made the same impact.
Ahead of the ceremony in London on March 1, we look at the biggest snubs and surprises from the BRITs 2025 nominations.
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Snub: Ariana Grande
Grande has been totally shut out at this year’s ceremony. It’s a huge shock given that her 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine, reached No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart, and two singles from the LP – “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” – both hit No. 2 in the U.K. She’s also been nominated for international artist of the year four times in the past (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021) and scooped the prize once in 2019.
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Snub: Kendrick Lamar
“Not Like Us” was the knockout blow in Kendrick and Drake’s vicious beef last summer: The song topped the Hot 100 and is a frontrunner in a number of categories at the upcoming Grammys. It is, shockingly, absent from international song of the year despite the 15 slots available in the category. Lamar does pick up a nod in the international artist category, however.
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Surprise: Amyl and The Sniffers
The Aussie punks released their third album Cartoon Darkness in October, and it landed at No. 9 in the U.K. and broke into the Billboard 200 at No. 196. That said, they’ve put the work in the market for years with a brilliant live show and by building a committed fanbase. Bands such as Amyl and The Sniffers don’t always get a look-in at the BRITs, so it’s a welcome surprise to see them in the international group of the year category.
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Surprise: Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective have had a sensational year: They released their third album, Dance, No One’s Watching, and headlined London’s Wembley Arena, the biggest headline gig ever by a jazz act in the U.K. It’s no surprise they land in four categories – album of the year, group of the year, alternative/rock act and best new artist – but it’s the last nod that appears out of step. The group is well-established compared to some of the others in the category, and have already scooped major gongs such as the Mercury Prize in 2023. A similar controversy marred BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2025, for which Ezra Collective were nominated for (but lost out to Chappell Roan).
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Snub: Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams is currently on an eight-week run at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Singles Chart with breakout hit “That’s So True.” The song appeared on a deluxe edition of sophomore album The Secret of Us, released last October, and followed appearances as a support act on Taylor Swift’s mammoth Eras Tour. She doesn’t get a look-in for the international categories, despite her huge commercial success.
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Surprise: Dave
The hip-hop/rap/grime act category is stacked with big names, but Dave’s inclusion is a bit of a head scratcher. While the Streatham-based rapper has had success at the BRITs in the past (and gave one of the ceremony’s best-ever performances in 2020), his past year was relatively quiet. He did not release any solo material, jump on any features or even perform live. The continued success of “Sprinter,” his 2023 team-up with Central Cee, might have carried him forward, but there were other names (K-Trap or Nines, for example) who deserved the nod, too.
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Surprise: The Beatles
The Beatles’ ‘final’ song “Now and Then” lands in song of the year category and gives the Fab Four their first nomination at the BRITs in nearly 50 years. The first BRITs ceremony was held in 1977 to celebrate 100 years of British music, and the group came away with the British pop album award for 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; they picked up the prize for outstanding contribution to music in 1983. It follows a nomination for their longtime rivals The Rolling Stones in 2024, who were up for alternative/rock act, but lost out to Bring Me the Horizon.
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Snub: Glass Animals
Their 2020 single “Heat Waves” was the first by a British group to top the Hot 100 since Coldplay achieved the feat in 2008 with “Viva la Vida.” The song’s record-breaking climb on the charts appeared to set the group up for further international and domestic success. There was, however, a muted response to last year’s follow-up LP I Love You So F***ing Much, which only charted at No. 5 in the U.K. They are shut out of all categories at 2025’s ceremony.
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Surprise: Dua Lipa
In late 2024, the British pop star told Billboard UK that her snubs at the upcoming Grammys weren’t of huge concern, and that she’s pleased at where her third LP, Radical Optimism, took her career. Ever a favorite at the BRITs, she lands four nominations across all categories, including album of the year. Only Charli landed more nominations (five) at 2025’s bash.
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Surprise: Lola Young
The London artist was nominated for the rising star award in 2022, eventually losing to Holly Humberstone. She missed out on a nomination for best new artist in the following two years, but she makes a welcome return in 2025 in the pop act category. It follows the growing success of viral hit “Messy,” which is up to No. 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and could challenge for the top spot in the coming weeks.
