Even to be nominated in this category is a good indication that these acts have broken through to the mainstream this year, but who’ll triumph and walk away with the award?
Florence and the Machine walked away with the Critics’ Choice Award last year, so must be hopeful that they can go one better with their powerful glitterball indie anthems.
Friendly Fires are indie-dance upstarts who last year became firm festival favourites with the likes of the bounding Paris, which sounded so triumphant you’d think they’d just topped Michael Jackson’s Thriller sales.
X Factor runners up are always likely to quickly become also-rans, but JLS have bucked the trend and won themselves several hundred thousand screaming female fans in the process. We bet Simon Cowell would be mad for not signing them to his label, if he wasn’t rich enough to not give two hoots.
La Roux’s 80s-inspired electro-pop came at just the right time to catapult her into the charts, even if her shrill voice divides listeners. Still, June Ackland from The Bill must be proud! (That’s her mum, don’t you know. Well, the actress who plays her, not the fictional character...)
Rounding off the list of nominees is Pixie Lott, who’s more of a hark back to pure pop, and stretch into other areas, being a bit Winehouse or a bit Sugababes depending on what’s required. Pocket-sized perfection! Unless you don’t actually like her, of course.
Nominees:
- Florence and the Machine
- Friendly Fires
- JLS
- La Roux
- Pixie Lott
