Ms Dynamite eyes Brits crowning glory

Ms Dynamite will be hoping to crown an explosive year tonight as she vies with Coldplay and The Streets to be the toast of the Brits.

The Mercury Music Prize winner is up for four prizes at the top music awards bash, along with Mike Skinner aka The Streets.

Coldplay are tipped to land two prizes as the bookies’ favourites to pick up best British group and album.

The annual bash at London’s Earls Court will be without one of its most colourful characters tonight as Robbie Williams stays in the US where he has been spending much of his time.

The singer – who already has nine solo Brits – is up for just one prize, best British male.

Around 5,000 guests – for the first time including paying members of the public – will be at The Brits, the UK’s most glamorous and respected music awards show.

But one name that will not be attending is ITV1’s Michael Jackson interviewer, Martin Bashir, who pulled out at the eleventh hour yesterday.

Bashir, whose interview with Jackson saw the singer admit to allowing boys sleep in his bed, was due to present an award alongside TV presenter Cat Deeley but cancelled yesterday evening.

However organisers of the Brits were quick to discount reports he had received death threats.

A spokesman for the awards said: “Martin was very nice about it. Another engagement has come up and he feels he cannot commit to the Brits.

“There have been no death threats”.

The spokesman did admit security was extra tight this year due to growing tensions over Iraq and terrorism threats, as with other major events.

Comedian Ben Elton will take Bashir’s place.

Pregnant Ms Dynamite, real name Niomi McLean-Daley, could well convert three of her nominations into prizes – for best female, urban and breakthrough acts.

And with Coldplay likely to win best album for A Rush Of Blood To The Head and Williams a strong possibility for best male, The Streets could be left empty handed.

One-man-band Skinner – who recorded much of his album Original Pirate Material in his bedroom – is not even planning to attend.

One winner is certain – Tom Jones will pick up a prize for his outstanding contribution to music and, as is traditional, will round off the two-hour show.

The ceremony will be screened tonight just an hour after the presentation actually finishes.

For many years TV bosses have given themselves more room for manoeuvre by showing it a day later but they now want to add more spontaneity.

However with an earlier, afternoon start time the guests will have had less time to drink themselves into oblivion – the usual catalyst for bad behaviour.

Performers include Ms Dynamite – set to perform a version of George Michael’s Faith – and US stars Justin Timberlake.

Davina McCall will keep order – three years after her last Brits presenting stint – while stars such as Denise Van Outen, Johnny Vegas and Cat Deeley will be handing out awards.

After the show, many of the revellers will head to a VIP party, glugging their way through 4,000 bottles of Champagne, more than 25,000 bottles of beer and 800 bottles of spirits,

A 60ft bar made of solid ice is being imported from Canada on which to display seafood for the guests which includes 5,000 oysters and 400 kilos of smoked salmon.

Here are the nominations for this year’s Brit Awards:

:: British male solo artist – Badly Drawn Boy; Craig David; David Gray; The Streets; Robbie Williams.

:: British female solo artist – Sophie Ellis Bextor; Ms Dynamite; Beverley Knight; Alison Moyet; Beth Orton.

:: British album – Coldplay, Rush of Blood to the Head; Ms Dynamite, A Little Deeper; The Coral, The Coral; The Streets, Original Pirate Material; Sugababes, Angels with Dirty Faces.

:: British group – Blue; Coldplay; Doves; Sugababes; Oasis.

:: British single – Atomic Kitten, The Tide is High (Get The Feeling); Gareth Gates, Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake); Gareth Gates, Unchained Melody; Liberty X, Just A Little; Will Young, Anything Is Possible/Evergreen.

:: British urban act – Beverley Knight; Big Brovaz; Craig David; Daniel Bedingfield; Mis-Teeq; Ms Dynamite; Romeo; Roots Manuva; So Solid Crew; The Streets.

:: British dance act – Chemical Brothers; Groove Armada; Jamiroquai; Kosheen; Sugababes.

:: British breakthrough artist – Liberty X; Ms Dynamite; The Coral; The Streets; Will Young.

:: Pop act – Blue; Enrique Iglesias; Gareth Gates; Pink; Will Young.

:: International male solo artist – Beck; Eminem; Moby; Nelly; Bruce Springsteen.

:: International female solo artist – Missy Elliot; Norah Jones; Alicia Keys; Avril Lavigne; Pink.

:: International album – Eminem, The Eminem Show; Norah Jones, Come Away with Me; Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor; Pink, Missundaztood; Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way.

:: International group – Foo Fighters; Nickelback; Red Hot Chili Peppers; Royksopp; White Stripes.

:: International breakthrough artist – Norah Jones; Avril Lavigne; Nickelback; Shakira; White Stripes.

:: Outstanding contribution to music – Tom Jones.