BRITs Critics’ Choice Award shortlist announced

02 December 2016 - Press release

Winner to be announced Thursday 8th December 

The BRIT Awards Exclusively broadcast live on ITV - Wednesday 22nd February 2017 from The O2 Arena, London

Friday 2nd December - Since launching in 2008, each year the BRIT Critics’ Choice winner has gone to achieve incredible things by storming the charts and making a global impact. 2017 will mark the 10th Critics’ Choice winner for the next artist to follow in the footsteps of phenomenal success stories such as Adele, Sam Smith, Emeli Sandé, Ellie Goulding and Florence and the Machine.

The Critics’ Choice Award has continued to successfully highlight and identify future British recording talent before it happens. Not only have previous winners enjoyed incredible domestic success but also international acclaim. Collectively winners have received Mercury Prize nominations, BRIT Awards and sold almost 60 million albums in the UK.

Today the BRIT Awards can reveal the 2017 shortlist, in alphabetical order: 

Anne-Marie:

“I actually can't believe I am nominated for this amazing award. This is so sick. To everyone who voted for me I am so grateful and humbled, here's to 2017!”

Dua Lipa:

“I couldn't believe it when I got the news. So honoured and grateful to be nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award. 

This is the highlight of my year. I've said so many times, that I've hit a lot of milestones this year from performing at Glastonbury, to doing my own European tour, never doing the same thing two days in a row and going to places I've never been before. 

Truly living my dream, this is the icing on the cake. A huge dream of mine! Thank you for all the love and support from the bottom of my heart this means the world to me! Thank you.”

Rag’n’Bone Man:

"It's bonkers that I've been nominated for Critics’ Choice. Absolutely bonkers, I’ve been grafting, I built a strong fan base over the years with help from good people that put their faith in me. And now this! I'm very grateful.”

The Critics’ Choice Award is chosen by a team of experts including the music editors of national newspapers, key music and lifestyle magazines and music websites plus the heads of music at major radio and music TV stations. The Award is open to artists signed to a label who are set to release their debut albums in 2017 and over 100 artists from a range of genres were considered for the award.

The 2017 Critics' Choice Award winner will be announced on Thursday 8th December and will be the first recipient of the specially designed Zaha Hadid award, one of the final commissions of her incredible career.

The winner will join Olly Murs, Craig David, Christine and the Queens and newly announced Calum Scott to perform at the BRIT nominations launch on the 14th of January broadcast live on an ITV primetime Saturday evening hosted by Emma Willis.

Past 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