Brit Awards 2024 nominations: RAYE triumphs with record-breaking seven as awards show makes good on diversity pledge

UK singer RAYE has broken a Brit Awards record and received the most nominations of any artist in a single year.

This year’s nominations for the annual music awards show were unveiled during a broadcast on Wednesday (24 January).

There was some tension surrounding how diverse the awards categories would be, following a row in 2023 when it emerged that both the Artist of the Year and International Artist of the Year nominees were all male – two years after the Brits introduced genderless categories.

RAYE, who split with her former label Polydor after claiming she was being blocked from releasing new music, received critical acclaim for her independently released debut, My 21st Century Blues, which hit No 2 on the UK albums chart and was later shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

The 26-year-old was nominated for the Brit Awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and both the R&B and pop categories. She also has two songs up for Song of the Year: “Prada” with Cassö and D-Block Europe, and “Escapism” with 070 Shake.

With seven nominations, she beat a record that was previously jointly held by Gorillaz, Craig David and Robbie Williams, who had each been nominated for six awards in a single year.

In a video message, RAYE alluded to the drama of the past few years as she thanked her fans for their support.

“This time a year ago, as far as the industry was concerned I was down and out,” she said, adding that it was “incredible” to be up for seven Brit Awards.

RAYE: ‘This time a year ago, as far as the industry was concerned I was down and out’ (Getty)

Across the board, representation in most categories was significantly improved. More than half of the Song of the Year and Artist of the Year nominees featured female artists, while four out of five nominees for Best New Artist were women.

The Group of the Year and International Group of the Year categories had zero female acts. However, it was a triumph for Mercury Prize 2023 nominees (and 2014 winners) Young Fathers, who received three nominations, including for Album of the Year, for their fourth record, Heavy Heavy.

There was also a showing for R&B singers after the genre was split away from its previous category, where it was joined with Pop. The five nominees are Cleo Sol, Jorja Smith, Mahalia, RAYE, and British music collective SAULT.

At a press screening to reveal the nominations, musician Yolanda Brown, the chair of the UK Record Labels Association, said the organisation was “so proud” of this year’s nominations, while remarking that further change could still be needed.

“It’s important that we listen, that we consult, and that we learn,” she said, acknowledging last year’s row over the all-male category nominations.

Calling the Brits a “work in progress”, she said she was “so pleased” to say that this year’s nominations showed the awards body was making “good strides forward”.

Top left clockwise: 2024 Brit nominees RAYE, Arlo Parks, Dua Lipa, Central Cee, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo (Getty)

See the full list of nominations for the 2024 Brit Awards below.

Song of the Year

Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding, “Miracle”

Cassio, Raye, D-Block, “Prada”

Central Cee, “Let Go”

Dave, Central Cee, “Sprinter”

Dua Lipa, “Dance the Night Away”

Ed Sheeran, “Eyes Closed”

J Hus, Drake, “Who Told You”

Kenya Grace, “Strangers”

Lewis Capaldi, “Wish You the Best”

PinkPantheress, “Boys a Liar”

RAYE, 070 Shake, “Escapism”

Rudimental, Charlotte Plank, Vibe Chemistry, “Dancing is Healing”

Stormzy, Debbie, “Firebabe”

Switch Disco, Ella Henderson, “React”

Venbee, Goddard, “Messy in Heaven”

Dua Lipa is a Brit Awards favourite

Best New Artist

Mahalia

Olivia Dean

PinkPantheress

RAYE

Yussef Dayes

Artist of the Year

Arlo Parks

Central Cee

Dua Lipa

Fred Again

J Hus

Jessie Ware

Little Simz

Olivia Dean

RAYE

Jessie Ware is up for Artist of the Year (Supplied)

Group of the Year

Blur

Chase & Status

Headie One and K-Trap

Jungle

Young Fathers

Young Fathers won the Mercury Prize 2023 with their album, ‘Heavy Heavy’, and are now up for gongs at the Brit Awards (Getty Images)

International Group of the Year

Blink-182

Boygenius

Foo Fighters

Gabriels

Paramore

Boygenius (Getty Images for Coachella)

Alternative / Rock Act

Blur

Bring Me the Horizon

The Rolling Stones

Young Fathers

Yussef Dayes

Blur are up for Best Rock Act (AP)

Dance Act

Barry Can’t Swim

Becky Hill

Calvin Harris

Fred Again

Romy

Becky Hill at the 2023 Brit Awards (Getty)

R&B Act

Cleo Sol

Jorja Smith

Mahalia

RAYE

SAULT

Jorja Smith at the 2020 BRIT Awards (Getty Images for Bauer Media)

Pop Act

Calvin Harris

Charli XCX

Dua Lipa

Olivia Dean

RAYE

Charli XCX (Getty Images)

Hip Hop / Rap / Grime

Casisdead

Central Cee

Dave

J Hus

Little Simz

British rapper Little Simz received multiple nominations this year (Ian West/PA) (PA Wire)

International Artist of the Year

Asake

Burna Boy

Caroline Polachek

CMAT

Kylie Minogue

Lana Del Rey

Miley Cyrus

Olivia Rodrigo

SZA

Taylor Swift

Brit nominee Taylor Swift (Getty Images for The Recording A)

International Song of the Year

Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For”

David Kushner, “Daylight”

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”

Jazzy, “Giving Me”

Libianca, “People”

Meghan Trainor, “Made You Look”

Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”

Oliver Tree, Robin Schulz, “Miss You”

Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”

Peggy Gou, “(It Goes Like) Na Na Na”

Rema, “Calm Down”

SZA, “Kill Bill”

Tate McCrae, “Greedy”

Tyla, “Water”

Libianca is up for International Song of the Year (Getty Images for BET)

Album of the Year

Blur, The Ballad of Darren

J Hus, Beautiful and Brutal Yard

Little Simz, No Thank You

RAYE, My 21st Century Blues

Young Fathers, Heavy Heavy

2022 Mercury Prize winner, Little Simz (Getty)

The Brit Awards 2024 take place at the O2 Arena in London on 2 March.