Beabadoobee, Celeste and Joy Crookes make up the all-female shortlist for the inaugural Mastercard Rising Star Award for the BRIT Awards 2020.
The winner of the Rising Star Award will be announced on Friday 6 December and the awards show is set to be broadcast live on TV on Tuesday 18 February from the O2 Arena, London.
The nominated artists span musical genres including indie rock, soul and jazz and are in line for the new award which replaces the BRITs Critic’s Choice award.
The new award is just one of the changes the BRIT Awards are making as part of the recently announced overhaul for the 2020 show.
Since its introduction in 2011, the category has helped launch the career of acts like Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Smith and Rag 'N' Bone Man.
For the first time in award's history the winner of the 2020 BRITs Rising Star Award perform at the main show.
In previous years the award has been chosen by a panel of music editors and critics from national press and online music editors, plus heads of music at major radio and music TV stations.
This year the panel has been expanded to include more tastemakers including songwriters, producers and live bookers – those working with new rising talent on a regular basis.
The award is open to British artists who, as of 31st October 2019, have not yet achieved an Official Album Charts Top 20 placing or achieved more than one Top 20 chart placing in the Official Singles Chart.
Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Bea Kristi began bedroom pop songs music as Beabadoobee in 2017.
She says: ‘It's suuuper cool to be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star award and I'm so grateful. It's so weird to think that writing music in my bedroom could appeal to so many people. Thank you so much to anyone who has voted for me!’
Soul and jazz artist Celeste was born in Los Angeles but Brighton-raised, and has garnered critical acclaim for a string of singles including Lately, Father's Son and latterly Strange.
Celeste comments: ‘My earliest memory of the BRITs was 2002, I was around 8 years old. MC Romeo had me at "turn up the bass line" and MisTeeq were the women I wanted to be when I grew up. It was a cold winter evening and I was glued to my television, I remember being in a frenzy with every word they sang. It was in that exact moment that I thought I would like to be a part of that one day. To be nominated for the Rising Star award is a huge honour, especially to recognised this early on in my career.’
South London's Joy Crookes began writing songs as an obsessive music fan at the age of 12.
Blending jazz, soul and pop, she has already brought her fresh sound to Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Glastonbury Festival.
Crookes says: ‘I remember watching the BRITs as a child - especially seeing my favourites like Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse up on the screen. I've always looked up to these inspiring and strong women so to be able to be recognised in the same way they were is insane - thank you so much to anyone who has supported me to get here!’
Past BRITs Critics' Choice winners:
2008 Adele
2009 Florence + The Machine
2010 Ellie Goulding
2011 Jessie J
2012 Emeli Sandé
2013 Tom Odell
2014 Sam Smith
2015 James Bay
2016 Jack Garratt
2017 Rag 'n' Bone Man
2018 Jorja Smith
2019 Sam Fender
The winner of the Rising Star Award will be announced on Friday 6 December and the awards show is set to be broadcast live on TV on Tuesday 18 February from the O2 Arena, London.
The nominated artists span musical genres including indie rock, soul and jazz and are in line for the new award which replaces the BRITs Critic’s Choice award.
The new award is just one of the changes the BRIT Awards are making as part of the recently announced overhaul for the 2020 show.
Since its introduction in 2011, the category has helped launch the career of acts like Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Smith and Rag 'N' Bone Man.
For the first time in award's history the winner of the 2020 BRITs Rising Star Award perform at the main show.
In previous years the award has been chosen by a panel of music editors and critics from national press and online music editors, plus heads of music at major radio and music TV stations.
This year the panel has been expanded to include more tastemakers including songwriters, producers and live bookers – those working with new rising talent on a regular basis.
The award is open to British artists who, as of 31st October 2019, have not yet achieved an Official Album Charts Top 20 placing or achieved more than one Top 20 chart placing in the Official Singles Chart.
Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Bea Kristi began bedroom pop songs music as Beabadoobee in 2017.
She says: ‘It's suuuper cool to be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star award and I'm so grateful. It's so weird to think that writing music in my bedroom could appeal to so many people. Thank you so much to anyone who has voted for me!’
Soul and jazz artist Celeste was born in Los Angeles but Brighton-raised, and has garnered critical acclaim for a string of singles including Lately, Father's Son and latterly Strange.
Celeste comments: ‘My earliest memory of the BRITs was 2002, I was around 8 years old. MC Romeo had me at "turn up the bass line" and MisTeeq were the women I wanted to be when I grew up. It was a cold winter evening and I was glued to my television, I remember being in a frenzy with every word they sang. It was in that exact moment that I thought I would like to be a part of that one day. To be nominated for the Rising Star award is a huge honour, especially to recognised this early on in my career.’
South London's Joy Crookes began writing songs as an obsessive music fan at the age of 12.
Blending jazz, soul and pop, she has already brought her fresh sound to Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Glastonbury Festival.
Crookes says: ‘I remember watching the BRITs as a child - especially seeing my favourites like Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse up on the screen. I've always looked up to these inspiring and strong women so to be able to be recognised in the same way they were is insane - thank you so much to anyone who has supported me to get here!’
Past BRITs Critics' Choice winners:
2008 Adele
2009 Florence + The Machine
2010 Ellie Goulding
2011 Jessie J
2012 Emeli Sandé
2013 Tom Odell
2014 Sam Smith
2015 James Bay
2016 Jack Garratt
2017 Rag 'n' Bone Man
2018 Jorja Smith
2019 Sam Fender
