The 40th BRIT Awards will take place today to celebrate the best of British musical talent.

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The ceremony, which will air on ITV on 18th February, will see the Lady Britannia statuette awarded to eight of the 45 nominees, which include Charlie XCX, Lewis Capaldi and Stormzy.

There will also be performances on the night from nominees Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Mable to name just a few, with Eilish performing her first live rendition of her new James Bond theme song, 'No Time To Die'.

Here’s everything you need to know about the BRIT Awards 2020.

When are the BRIT Awards?

The BRIT Awards will be televised live, from London’s O2 Arena, on ITV at 7pm on 18th February. This year’s show will mark be the BRIT Awards' 40th, so the committee have something special in store for February’s ceremony.

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“We have had a fresh look at the BRIT Awards this year,” said The BRITs Committee chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK David Joseph. “Most importantly we will be putting creativity, British culture and exceptional performances at the heart of the show to make BRITs night a world class celebration.”

How can you watch?

Viewers can watch from the comfort of their own home by tuning into ITV or head over to the official BRIT Awards YouTube channel to keep up with the action.

Fans can also get involved in the conversation on Twitter by using the official BRITs hashtag.

Who is hosting the BRIT Awards?

Comedian Jack Whitehall is returning to host the ceremony for his third year in a row.

The stand-up comic is best known for his roles in Fresh Meat and Bad Education and the comedy documentary series Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father.

Jack Whitehall said: “I’m delighted to be back hosting The BRITs for a third time! I’m excited for another night of trying not to put my foot in it in front of the biggest names in the music industry.”

Jack Whitehall (Getty, EH)

Who are the nominees?

Radio presenter Alice Levine announced the BRIT nominations on 11th January this year. The winners of the musical gongs are decided by 1,200 music industry experts throughout the UK.

The committee announced last year that fewer awards will be given out so that there is “plenty more time on the night for music”. The number of categories has been reduced from 14 to nine, with Best International Group, BRITs Global Success Award, Video Award, Best British Producer and Outstanding Contribution to Music getting the chop.

Here are the nominees:

Male Solo Artist:

  • Dave
  • Harry Styles
  • Lewis Capaldi
  • Michael Kiwanuka
  • WINNER: Stormzy

Female Solo Artist

  • Charli XCX
  • FKA Twigs
  • Freya Ridings
  • WINNER: Mabel
  • Mahalia

Best Group

  • Bastille
  • Bring Me the Horizon
  • Coldplay
  • D-Block Europe
  • WINNER: Foals

Song of the Year

  • AJ Tracey – Ladbroke Grove
  • Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man – Giant
  • Dave ft Burna Boy – Location
  • Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care
  • WINNER: Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
  • Mabel – Don’t Call Me Up
  • Mark Ronson ft Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks like A heart
  • Sam Smith & Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
  • Stormzy – Vossi Bop
  • Tom Walker – Just You and I

Mastercard Album of the Year

  • WINNER: Dave – Psychodrama
  • Harry Styles – Fine Line
  • Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
  • Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka
  • Stormy – Heavy is the Head

Best New artist

  • Aitch
  • Dave
  • WINNER: Lewis Capaldi
  • Mabel
  • Sam Fender

International Female Solo Artist

  • Ariana Grande
  • WINNER: Billie Eilish
  • Camila Cabello
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Lizzo

International Male Solo Artist

  • Bruce Springsteen
  • Burna Boy
  • Dermot Kennedy
  • Post Malone
  • WINNER: Tyler, the Creator

Rising Star – winner announced in December 2019

  • Beabadoobee
  • Celeste (winner)
  • Joy Crookes

Who is predicted to win?

Lewis Capaldi (GettyImages)

Both Stormzy and Harry Styles have been nominated for Male Solo Artist and Mastercard Album of the Year, with Stormzy also securing a Song of the Year nomination. Lewis Capaldi has nominations for Best New Artist and Male Solo Artist under his belt.

Lewis is expected to triumph at The BRITs, with most pundits believing he'll be rewarded for the success of his breakout song, Someone You Loved, and the multi-platinum sales of his debut album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent.

Even singer Sam Fender - who is nominated against Lewis in the best male category - is backing him to win.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, he said: "I'm just going to turn up, watch Lewis Capaldi win everything and then go home."

However, Lewis does have some stiff competition with other nominees.

Stormzy's BRITs appearance comes after a triumphant 2019, which saw him headline Glastonbury and enter the charts at number two with his second album, Heavy Is The Head.

The two-time BRIT Award winner also released his record in the same week as the BRITs' academy cast their votes.

Harry Styles's second album, Fine Line, was also released to coincide with the voting window and also makes it into the best album shortlist.

But, Lewis' biggest contender is UK rapper Dave - whose thought-provoking record Psychodrama was hailed as "the boldest and best British rap album in a generation."

UK artist Dave (GettyImages)

Are people happy with the nominations?

When the nominees were announced, many people were quick to point out that women are noticeably absent in a few of the categories, including MasterCard Album of the Year and Best Group.

Across the unisex categories, there are only four nominations for female artists while the other 26 nominations are men. Two of the female nominations are held by the same woman - 23-year-old singer-songwriter Mabel. The other two nominations are for Miley Cyrus and Normani.

Not enough women in the Brit nominations, disappointing but not surprising at all

— Aaliyah (@notwithoutsuzy) January 12, 2020

Miley Cyrus, Getty
Miley Cyrus, Getty

Who will be performing at the BRIT Awards 2020?

BRIT nominees Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel, Stormzy will join Rising Star winner Celeste on the O2 stage for performances throughout the evening.

Eilish's premiere live performance of her Bond theme 'No Time To Die' will take place during the ceremony, according to Eilish's official Twitter account, and will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Billie Eilish has been nominated for Best International Female Solo Artist, while Mabel is nominated in three categories - Best New Artist, Best Solo Artist and Song of the Year for her single Call Me Up.

Stormzy will also be back on stage, after his 2018 performance went down in history and he swooped up two awards for Best Male and Album of The Year for his 2017 body of work, Gang Signs & Prayer.

Stormzy at the 2018 BRIT Awards (GettyImages)

As well as performances from some of the current musical sensations, this year's show will close with a reunion from London band The Faces as Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones perform together on TV for the first time in almost three decades.

The performance will mark Rod's recent 75th birthday, but also how the legendary musician scored one of the biggest albums of 2019 with his You're In My Heart collection.

Are there any changes to the 2020 Awards?

Now that it's in its 40th year, a lot of significant changes have been introduced to the awards ceremony. The organisers will be handing over more control to artists when it comes to performances, there'll only be nine awards presented on the night, and the Critics' Choice Award has been renamed as the Rising Star Award.

The prizes for best British video and best international group have been axed, while the outstanding contribution award will not feature in the 2020 ceremony.

Winners will receive the classic Lady Britannia Brit statuette, which returns after nearly a decade’s rest having been re-imagined each year since 2011 by a guest designer.

Who won BRIT Awards last year?

British Male Solo Artist: George Ezra

British Female Solo Artist: Jorja Smith

British Group: The 1975

British Breakthrough Act: Tom Walker

International Group: The Carters

International Male Solo Artist: Drake

International Female Solo Artist: Ariana Grande

BRITs Global Success Award: Ed Sheeran

British Artist Video Award: Little Mix ft Nicki Minaj - 'Woman Like Me'

Best British Producer: Calvin Harris

British Single: Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa - 'One Kiss'

Mastercard British Album of The Year: The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships

Outstanding Contribution to Music: P!nk

Critics' Choice: Sam Fender

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The BRIT Awards will air on ITV on 18th February at 7pm

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