BBC Music Awards include Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran on shortlist

BBC Music Awards include Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran on shortlist

Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran, two of Britain’s hottest recording acts, are among the favourites to pick up gongs at the inaugural BBC Music Awards, when it takes place 11 December at Earls Court in London.

The awards ceremony is big news as it appears to position the BBC, the UK’s public broadcaster, head to head against the BRIT Awards, currently the most coveted prize for British recorded-music acts.

Smith and Sheeran have been shortlisted in the British Artist of the Year category in the new BBC Music Awards. They will be vying with David Bowie, Elbow, Jungle and Royal Blood for the prize.

The finalists in the International Artist of the Year category include none other than Taylor Swift, who can do no wrong in terms of awards this year as she fronts the battle for streaming-rights royalties. Dolly Parton, Lorde, Gregory Porter, Pharrell and Prince are also contending for the International Artist prize.

Selecting the winners will be a panel of industry experts chosen by BBC Music, plus music journalists.

The awards show, in front of an audience of 13,500 people, will be presented by music DJs and personalities from the TV and radio networks operated by the BBC. They include Nick Grimshaw and Chris Evans (pictured). They will be seen and heard across the BBC’s flagship TV and radio platforms, and online.

In October, the broadcaster officially launched BBC Music, an initiative to consolidate all its music services on TV, radio, live orchestras and concerts under one brand.

Bob Shennan, BBC Music’s director, has denied the awards event is competing against the BRITs. He has publicly stated that it aims to celebrate the previous 12 months in the UK music industry and to emphasise that BBC’s music coverage is just as important as its sports and news programming.

[Juliana Koranteng]