One Direction nominated for Best Single in Brits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E

Fledgling X Factor band One Direction have been nominated for best single in this year's Brit Awards.

The boy band, starring Wolverhampton's Liam Payne, are up for the gong for their debut single What Makes You Beautiful.

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran heads the field for this year's contest with four nominations, while Adele and Jessie J, are both up for three prizes.

Florence + The Machine and Coldplay are nominated for a pair of prizes at the event, to be held at London's O2 Arena on February 21.

Hotly-tipped Emeli Sande has already won one trophy before this year's show – the Critics' Choice Award – and stands to win another as best British breakthrough act, competing against Jessie J, Sheeran, Anna Calvi and The Vaccines.

Sheeran has landed plenty of critical acclaim and airplay in the past year with singles such as The A Team and Lego House, as well as topping the album chart with his debut, called +.

He goes up against Noel Gallagher, James Blake, James Morrison and Professor Green for the best British male title and is one of 10 acts in contention for best British single.

Best British album – which has now become the centrepiece of the Brits – will be fought over between Sheeran's +, 21 by Adele, Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay, Ceremonials by Florence and the Mercury Prize-winning Let England Shake by PJ Harvey.

The best British female category features Adele, Florence, Jessie J, Laura Marling and Kate Bush. Bush, aged 53, figures in the shortlist for the first time in six years, on the back of her 50 Words For Snow album. She last won the best female prize 25 years ago.

Coldplay are up for the best British group title – a category they have previously won three times. Nominations for the awards – officially called the The Brit Awards 2012 with MasterCard – were announced at an event at London's Savoy Hotel last night.