Take That and Mumford & Sons square up to Plan B and Tinie Tempah in the battle for British Album of the Year.
The X Factor: Mercury Prize winners the xx certainly have it
Plan B has had a complete turn of fortune over the past decade, from surviving a stab wound to the neck to going into the UK album charts at number 1. His second studio album The Defamation of Strickland Banks was released in 2010 to widespread critical acclaim and saw the young Londoner take a new more soulful direction.The much less “street” nominees Mumford & Sons have had considerable success with their debut album Sigh No More both here and in the States. Championed by Radio 1 the checked shirt, ukulele playing gents have contributed to fellow Brit nominee Laura Marling’s album and look set for another strong year.
Pop super group and all round boyband legends, Take That, are nominated for their newest album, Progress, which is the first album of new material with the band’s original lineup after Robbie rejoined in November 2010. More of a “man-band” than a “boyband” now, are these pop veterans man enough to clinch this Brit trophy?
Hoping to steal the British Album crown from the fab five is young gun Tinie Tempah who is up for three other nominations at this year’s Brit Awards, having already come out tops at last year’s MOBO awards. The South London rapper’s debut album Disc-Overy went straight to number 1 in October last year and has spawned a string of hits such as Pass Out, Written In The Stars and Frisky.
Finally Mercury Prize winners the xx are nominated for their self-titled album, which saw them shoot to success in 2010. The track Intro has been used extensively in advertising and the unassuming trio has been propelled onto the global stage.
• Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
• Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
• Take That – Progress
• Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
• The xx – XX
A BRIT OF ALRIGHT
