Brit Awards 2018 Nominations: The 8 Acts Who Deserved Nods | HuffPost

This year's list is bound to have ruffled a few feathers.

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Entertainment Editor, HuffPost UK

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This year’s Brit Awards nominations have been revealed, and it’s fair to say they contain some surprises.

However, it’s not so much who has been nominated that has got everyone talking, rather than who HASN’T.

After some of 2017′s biggest artists failed to scoop a single nomination - with others also confusingly absent from some categories, despite releasing material within the eligible period - we take a look those who deserved to pick up nominations.

Sam Smith

Best Male / Best Album / Best Single

Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment

Ed Sheeran aside, Sam Smith was the most sure-fire name to be nominated in the Best Male and Best Album categories, but he is mysteriously absent from from the complete list of 2018 nominees - and this is despite having one of the biggest albums of last year on both sides of the Atlantic.

He didn’t even manage to pick up a nod in the Best Single category for ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ either, poor lad.

Rita Ora

Best Female / Best Single / Best Video

Empics Entertainment

She may have had the biggest pop comeback of 2017 but that wasn’t enough for the Brits to hand Rita Ora a single nomination.

Not only did she miss out on a nod for Best Female, but one of 2017’s best tracks - ‘Anywhere’ - didn’t appear in the Best Single or Best Video lists, owing to the fact they are based on success of streams and plays.

#JusticeForRita.

Harry Styles

Best Male

PA Wire/PA Images

While Harry Styles’s solo career may have slowed following the release of his debut album, we were still shocked to have seen him not listed from the Best Male category, given the support the Brits have shown for One Direction in the past.

Despite the success of lead track ‘Sign Of The Times’, he also missed out on a Best Single nomination, as the category is actually informed by commercial sales and radio play figures.

Clean Bandit

Best Group

John Phillips via Getty Images

Clean Bandit dominated the singles chart in 2017 but failed to receive a nod in the Best British Group category because they are yet to release their second album.

The snub must have been pretty difficult to stomach considering they’d also literally just finished performing on the nominations show when this category was revealed.

Little Mix

Best Group

Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment

Little Mix have not been nominated for Best British Group. We repeat: Little Mix have not been nominated for Best British Group.

While fans are up in arms about it, the girls were not eligible for the category because ‘Glory Days’ was released in 2016.

Anne-Marie

Best Female

David M. Benett via Getty Images

While bosses have nominated fellow 2017 Critics Choice nominee Dua Lipa in this category, Anne-Marie failed to make the cut for Best Female, possibly to due to the fact we’re still waiting for her album to drop.

Cardi B

Best International Female

Rick Kern via Getty Images

As one of the most exciting artists to emerge from the States over the last 12 months, Cardi B was definitely deserving of a spot in the Best International Female category, but it lost out to more established acts like Taylor Swift, Bjork and Alicia Keys - purely because she is yet to release an album, although she did release a mixtape in 2017.

Charli XCX

Best Video

PA Archive/PA Images

Come on, if we’re going to talk about Best British Videos of the last year, Charli XCX’s efforts on ‘Boys’ *has* to be up there.

It’s all-star male cast got everyone drooling talking, but even Riz Ahmed cuddling a teddy or Khalid playing with puppies didn’t help it rack up enough views to be considered for the category.

The Brit Awards will take place on 21 February at London’s O2 Arena, hosted by Jack Whitehall.

Take a look at the full list of nominations here.

Before You Go

14 Surprising Brit Awards Winners

Dexy's Midnight Runners (1983)(01 of14)

If you're like us, you'll associate Come On Eileen with watching through your fingers while your aunties dance around at a family wedding.

However, in 1983, the Dexy's Midnight Runners hit was named Best British Single, over Irene Cara's Fame and Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger (both of which are also family wedding staples, to be fair). (credit:EUGENE ADEBARI/REX Shutterstock)

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (1988)(02 of14)

Come On Eileen isn't the only 80s cringe-fest to have previously been named the greatest British song of the entire year, though, with Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up also getting the award in 1988.

Rick beat Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin and T'Pau's China In Your Hand for the accolade. (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)

Laura Marling (2011)(03 of14)

Back in 2011, the question was whether it would be Cheryl Cole, Ellie Goulding or then-newcomer Paloma Faith taking home the Best British Female award at the Brits.

It turned out that none of them did, and it was outsider Laura Marling who was given the gong. And doesn't she look thrilled about it? (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)

Mick Hucknall (1993)(04 of14)

Mick Hucknall's win was doubly surprising when you take into account that he beat competition from Eric Clapton, George Michael, Sir Elton John and Phil Collins to win Best British Male.

And yes, that's Richard O'Brien of Crystal Maze and Rocky Horror fame in the background who, for some reason, was the host that year. (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)

One Direction (2013)(05 of14)

1D having a Brit Award isn't exactly beyond the real of possibility (they actually have seven in total), but many were a little alarmed in 2013, when the Global Success category appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and was mysteriously won by the boyband. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)

Harry Styles (2018)(06 of14)

Again, it's not necessarily a massive surprise that Harry Styles has a Brit Award, he is after all one of the most famous singers in the world.

But what we are a little shocked by was that his first ever solo Brit would be in the Video Of The Year category, for his (slightly ropey) Sign Of The Times video. A credit to the power of the Directioners, who voted in their droves for Harry to bag the award. (credit:PYMCA via Getty Images)

Finley Quaye (1998)(07 of14)

Now, no offence to Finley Quaye. We're sure he's a lovely man. But we have to be honest, we'd not actually heard of him before we discovered he was a Brit Award winner.

Finley was crowned British Male Solo Artist over Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Paul Weller back in 1998, when apparently white on white on yellow on white was all the rage. (credit:Rex Shutterstock)

Shaggy (2002)(08 of14)

True, It Wasn't Me wasn't exactly an underground track (it was the UK's 11th best-selling song of the 2000s, after all), but with nominees for Best International Male including Bob Dylan and Dr Dre, we can't help but feel that Shaggy's win was a surprising one. (credit:Richard Young/REX Shutterstock)

All the Best British Single nominees (2006)(09 of14)

Coldplay won Best British Single for Speed Of Sound in 2006.

But then they'd have to, wouldn't they? Because look what they were up against: Shayne Ward's That's My Goal. Tony Christie's Is This The Way To Amarillo?. And James Blunt's You're Beautiful.

If you look closely, you'll see Madonna in the bottom-right corner of this picture, whispering (we can only assume): "It should have been Sugababes." (credit:Paul Grover/REX Shutterstock)

Braveheart (1996)(10 of14)

Braveheart cleaned up at awards season upon its release, but did you know this included scooping a Brit?

The Mel Gibson epic beat Muriel's Wedding and Batman Forever to the Best Soundtrack gong in 1996. (credit:SNAP/REX Shutterstock)

Duffy (2009)(11 of14)

With an earworm hit single like Mercy, it was inevitable that Welsh singer Duffy would bag herself a handful of Brit Awards, but who'd have thought she'd have pipped Adele to the award in 2009? (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)

Lemar (2004)(12 of14)

Like Duffy, no one's saying that Lemar didn't deserve his Best British Urban Act prize... but it does mean that a category exists where Lemar from Fame Academy was crowned winner over Amy literal Winehouse. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)

A1 (2001)(13 of14)

A1 were named Best British Breakthrough Act in 2001 over Craig David, Coldplay and Artful Dodger.

Once again for the cheap seats at the back: A1 were named Best British Breakthrough Act in 2001 over Craig David, Coldplay and Artful Dodger.

Here's what they wore to the event. Good grief. (credit:David Fisher/REX Shutterstock)

Status Quo (1991)(14 of14)

Status Quo perhaps wouldn't be top of the list of artists we'd guess had been given the Outstanding Contribution To Music award, but looking at those smiling faces, who could possibly argue? (credit:RICHARD YOUNG/REX Shutterstock)

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