Entertainment

Jeremy Corbyn earns NME Award nomination as Charli XCX and Lorde lead the pack

The Labour leader is up for hero of the year.
The Labour leader is up for hero of the year. The Labour leader is up for hero of the year.

Pop stars Lorde and Charli XCX are the frontrunners for this year’s NME Awards which also see a surprise nomination for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Lorde and Charli XCX earned four nods apiece and will compete for the best track prize with respective tracks Green Light and Boys.

They are joined by five-time Brit nominee Dua Lipa in the category who is also included on the best British solo artist shortlist alongside Liam Gallagher, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Loyle Carner and XCX.

Charli XCX (Ian West/PA)
Charli XCX (Ian West/PA) Charli XCX (Ian West/PA)

Sheeran’s record-breaking third album, Divide, is a surprise omission from the best album prize which sees Lorde’s Melodrama shortlisted alongside debut albums from rappers J Hus and Loyle Carner as well as Wolf Alice’s Visions Of A Life, Humanz’ Gorillaz, and The National’s Sleep Well Beast.

J Hus also finds himself on the best new artist shortlist where he is joined by Stefflon Don, The Magic Gang, Sigrid, SZA and Shame.

Mr Corbyn – who graced the cover of the long-running music magazine during last year’s election – is included in the hero of the year shortlist where he is credited with increasing youth engagement in politics.

Prime Minister Theresa May is also up for a prize as she earned a place on the villain of the year shortlist alongside US President Donald Trump, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, North Korea leader Kim Jong-un as well as Piers Morgan and Katie Hopkins.

Competing with Mr Corbyn for the hero award are pop star Ariana Grande, actress Rose McGowan, Blue Planet 2 presenter David Attenborough, Wolf Alice frontwoman Ellie Rowsell and Man’s Not Hot rapper Big Shaq.

Grande’s nod recognises her work in organising the One Love Manchester fundraising concert just weeks after her fans were targeted at the Manchester Arena terror attack.

One Love Manchester is up for music moment of the year alongside the Grime4Corbyn campaign which saw dozens of grime artists back the Labour leader throughout 2017.

The best British band prize sees Kasabian face competition from Alt-J, Wolf Alice, The 1975, The xx and Bastille.

Dozens of other awards are up for grabs with all winners voted for by the public and announced at a ceremony at London’s O2 Academy in Brixton on February 14.