The Darkness Lead BRITs Nominees

The Darkness lead the pack of BRIT Awards nominees with four nods. The spandex rock act will go into the 2004 BRIT Awards in association with MasterCard with nominations for Best British Group, Best British Breakthrough, Best British Rock and Best British Album for 'Permission to Land'.

Just behind The Darkness with three nominations each are Dido, Busted, Dizzee Rascal and Daniel Bedingfield. Battling it out for the MTV Base sponsored Best British Urban Act are Lemar, Big Brovaz, Mis-Teeq, Dizzee Rascal and Amy Winehouse.

The full list of nominees is as follows:

Best Pop: Christina Aguilera, Daniel Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Busted, Justin Timberlake.

Best International Male: Beck, 50Cent, Sean Paul, Damien Rice, Justin Timberlake.

Best International Female: Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue.

Best International Group: Black Eyed Peas, Kings of Leon, Outkast, The Strokes, The White Stripes.

Best International Album: Christina Aguilera, Stripped; Beyonce, Dangerously In Love; Outkast, Speakerboxxx; Justin Timberlake, Justified; The White Stripes, Elephant.

Best International Breakthrough: 50Cents, Evanescence, Kings of Leon, Sean Ball, The Thrills.

Outstanding Contribution: Duran Duran.

Best British Male - Badly Drawn Boy, Daniel Bedingfield, David Bowie, Dizzee Rascal, Will Young.

Best British Female - Sophie Ellis Bextor, Dido, Jamelia, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse

Best British Group - Busted, The Coral, The Darkness, Radiohead, Sugababes

Best British Album - Daniel Bedingfield, Gotta Get Thru This; Blur, Think Tank; The Coral, Magic and Medicine; The Darkness, Permission to Land; Dido, Life for Rent.

Best British Dance - Basement Jaxx, Goldfrapp, Groove Armada, Kosheen, Lemon Jelly.

Best British Breakthrough - Busted, Jamie Cullum, The Darkness, Lemar, Dizzee Rascals.

Best British Single - Dido, White Flag; Gareth Gates featuring the Kumars, Spirit in the Sky; Jamelia, Superstar; Mis-teeq, Scandalous; Rachel Stevens, Sweet Dreams My LA Ex

Best British Urban - Lemar, Big Brovaz, Mis-teeq, Dizzee Rascals, Amy Winehouse.

Best British Rock - The Darkness, Feeder, Muse, Primal Scream, Stereophonics.

The BRITs will take place on February 17 at London's Earl's Court.

DL