Brit Awards: Bastille and Disclosure lead nominations

Bastille (left) and Disclosure (right) are up for four awards, while Ellie Goulding (centre) is in the running for three

Pop acts Bastille and Disclosure lead the nominations at the 2014 Brit Awards, in a field that leans heavily towards new bands.

Both acts have four nominations, followed closely by pop star Ellie Goulding and dance collective Rudimental, who have three each.

Two-time Brit winner David Bowie is up for best British male and best album, while Arctic Monkeys also get two nods.

The Sheffield band will open the awards ceremony on 19 February.

Other acts scheduled to perform at the show include Bastille, Bruno Mars, up for best international male, and Rudimental.

The dance act, whose three nominations include British group, have spent the last year investing in their own live show and are "excited" to perform at the awards.

Pop star Katy Perry has been nominated for best international female twice before, but is yet to win a Brit award

"We grew up watching the Brits and watching amazing performances," said the group's Piers Agget at a special nominations launch in London, where they also performed.

Bandmate DJ Leon Rolle added: "When I think about what we're going to offer, there's going to be quite a few surprises. We can't reveal them now, but I think a lot of people are going to be shocked to see what we're doing, and I'm really excited about that."

Katy Perry, who competes in the international female category after last year's global hit Roar, will also take to the stage on the night.

"It's an honour to play at such a prestigious event where musicality shines at its brightest," said Perry.

New artists feature strongly on this year's longlist, with London Grammar, John Newman, Lorde, Drake and Haim all receiving their first nominations.

London four-piece Bastille, who met at university in Leeds, are up for best single, best British group, breakthrough artist and best album for their debut Bad Blood.

Featuring the catchy, triumphant hit singles Pompeii and Things We Lost In The Fire, it went straight to the top of the UK charts in March and ended up the year's 11th best-selling album.

Disclosure, who are nominated in the same four categories, are brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence from Surrey.

Combining soul melodies with deep house and UK garage, their album, Settle, featured guest vocals from fellow Brit nominees Sam Smith and London Grammar, and was a number one in June.

The nominations were revealed by BBC Radio 1 breakfast show DJ Nick Grimshaw at a launch show in central London, where Smith was handed his Critic's Choice award, given each year to a promising up-and-coming artist.

The singer, who also featured on the Naughty Boy track La La La which is up for best single, said it meant he would be able to relax on awards night next month.

"I get the privilege of going there and already winning. So I get to drink and get drunk. That's the main plan!" said Smith.

David Bowie has only won two Brits - for best male in 1984 and outstanding contribution in 1996

Ellie Goulding is nominated twice in the best single category, for the dance-pop anthem Burn and her collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris, I Need Your Love.

Also up for female solo artist - where her competition includes Birdy, Jessie J, Laura Marling and Laura Mvula - an "overwhelmed" Goulding announced at the nominations launch that she too would be performing live at the ceremony.

David Bowie is a strong contender for best British male, after emerging from a 10-year hiatus and rumoured health problems last year.

The star, who celebrated his 67th birthday on Wednesday, is old enough to be the grandfather of his fellow nominees: Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake.

He is also up for best British album - deemed the night's main award - for The Next Day, where he must see off Bastille, Disclosure, Arctic Monkeys, for their lascivious fifth album AM, and Rudimental, for the euphoric club record Home.

If Bowie wins either award, he will receive his first Brit statuette since being honoured with the outstanding contribution award 18 years ago.

Arctic Monkeys, whose album topped many critics end-of-year lists, will open the show

For the second year running, there will be no outstanding contribution award in 2014.

However, the best British video category is being resurrected for the first time since 2002, when it was won by So Solid Crew's 21 Seconds.

Nominations for the prize have yet to be announced, but the winner will be decided on the night by fans using social media.

That makes One Direction, whose fanbase are particularly ardent, the likely winners. Harry, Zayn, Louis, Liam and Niall are also expected to lift the "global success award", which recognises overseas record sales.

With nominations for best British group and best single, the boyband could be the night's big winners.

Notable omissions

Some major artists have been overlooked - including Vampire Weekend, Robbie Williams, Kanye West and Beyonce, whose self-titled album arrived slightly too late for the eligibility period.

Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus were also missing - perhaps a reaction to the controversy over their sexually-charged music videos.

Sam Smith has already been named the recipient of the Critics' Choice award

The trophies, designed by Philip Treacy, will be handed out at London's O2 arena on 19 February, with comedian James Corden presiding over the ceremony for the third and final time.

Organisers will be hoping the show packs more of a punch than last year's, which many felt had fallen flat.

Robbie Williams was among those who criticised the event, saying the audience contained too many industry guests sitting at tables.

"I got on stage and turned around and looked at a dead hall," he said. "It's not their fault, but maybe they should have some punters in."

Jessie J, nominated for the fourth year in a row in 2014 agreed, "last year it felt a little slow".

She said she was hoping for more of the "bad behaviour" which marked previous Brit ceremonies - such as Jarvis Cocker's stage invasion in 1996, or Adele's two-finger gesture two years ago.

Rudimental's Kesi Dryden added: "Last year, we had label guys on our table saying 'don't do this, don't do that'.

"But if we win this time, it's going to go off!"