Smith v Sheeran at BBC Music Awards

• 8 December 2014
• From the section Music

Fresh from their multiple nominations at the Grammys, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith are going to head to head at the first ever BBC Music Awards.

Both will compete for the British artist of the year title against the likes of Elbow, Jungle and Royal Blood.

David Bowie is also on the shortlist.

Two country stars from different eras, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, are in the running for the best international artist along with Gregory Porter, Lorde, Pharrell and Prince.

The winners will chosen by a BBC Music panel as well as leading music journalists.

The show will take place in front of a live audience of 13,500 people at London’s Earls Court.

It will be broadcast across the UK on BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2 and online.

There will be lots of big names performing on the night at Earls Court in London including One Direction, Coldplay, Paloma Faith, Calvin Harris and Take That.

BBC Introducing’s Catfish and the Bottlemen and the BBC Concert Orchestra will be on stage too with some surprise collaborations and appearances expected to be unveiled on the night.

Bob Shennan, director of BBC Music, said: “The BBC Music Awards exist to celebrate the past 12 months in music.

“The shortlists feature an amazing range of hugely talented artists. Each and every one has made a unique mark on the music industry.

“They have experienced phenomenal success and it’s wonderful to see new acts featuring alongside some of the biggest names in the business.”

The full coverage of the BBC Music Awards will be on Thursday 11 December