Sam Smith nabs Grammy nominations

Sam Smith album reached number two in the US charts

British artists have scooped several nominations for the 2015 Grammys, as the shortlist for the ceremony's 83 categories is revealed.

Sam Smith, who topped the BBC's Sound of 2014 in January, has six nominations including best new artist.

His gospel-tinged single Stay With Me is also up for best pop performance and record of the year.

UK acts Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Charli XCX are all up for prizes, alongside Pharrell Williams and Beyonce.

The shortlisted acts were announced throughout the day on Friday, in a number of diverse categories including comedy, Hawaiian music and best surround sound album.

Three British artists are in the running for best pop album - with Smith, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran battling against Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry for the title.

Pop singer Charli XCX has also received the first of many expected nominations for Fancy, her chart-topping duet with Iggy Azalea.

Smith could not hide his excitement, tweeting: "What is going on!! 6 Grammy nominations. Dear Lord."

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Smith and Sheeran are also included in the Best Pop Vocal Album category.

Sheeran was clearly delighted with his nominations, tweeting: "Grammy nom and my album multiply has sold 3 million worldwide as of this morning. Good start to the day."

Music industry pundits expect Beyonce to walk away with the most nominations, with her self-titled fifth album a frontrunner for the ceremony's top prize, album of the year.

If she wins, it would be the first time in her 17-year career. She holds 17 Grammys in other categories.

Selected Nominees

Album of the Year

• Morning Phase - Beck

• Beyonce - Beyonce

• x - Ed Sheeran

• In the Lonely Hour - Sam Smith

• Girl - Pharrell Williams

Best New Artist

• Iggy Azalea

• Bastille

• Brandy Clark

• Haim

• Sam Smith

Best Rock Album

• Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams

• Morning Phase - Beck

• Turn Blue - The Black Keys

• Hypnotic Eye - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

• Songs of Innocence - U2

Charli XCX (left) and Iggy Azalea topped the US chart for seven weeks with Fancy

Record of the Year

• Fancy - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX (pictured)

• Chandelier - Sia

• Stay With Me - Sam Smith

• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

• All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor

Song of the Year

• All About That Bass - Kevin Kadish and Meghan Trainor

• Chandelier - Sia and Jesse Shatkin

• Shake It Off - Max Martin, Shellback and Taylor Swift

• Stay With Me - Jimmy Napes, William Phillips and Sam Smith

• Take Me to Church - Hozier

Best Pop Vocal Album

• Ghost Stories - Coldplay

• Bangerz - Miley Cyrus

• My Everything - Ariana Grande

• Prism - Katy Perry

• x - Ed Sheeran

• In the Lonely Hour - Sam Smith

Best Pop Solo Performance

• All of Me - John Legend

• Chandelier - Sia

• Stay With Me - Sam Smith

• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

• Happy - Pharrell Williams

The first tranche of nominations were announced live on US television by Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran.

Williams, who won four Grammys earlier this year, is up for best pop solo performance for the feel-good anthem Happy.

The song was technically ineligible for the awards, having originally been released on the soundtrack to Despicable Me 2 in 2012.

However, his record label submitted a live recording of the track in order for it to be reconsidered.

A similar sleight of hand allowed John Legend's hit ballad All Of Me to be nominated in the same category - with the other contenders including Sia, for Chandelier, Sam Smith, for Stay With Me and Taylor Swift, for Shake It Off.

Swift's comeback single, a number one hit in September, is her only eligible release for the 2015 Grammys, as her recent album came out too late to be considered.

The nominees were being revealed on Twitter, with the album of the year category revealed on a US TV special - A Very Grammy Christmas.

The awards will be handed out 8 February 2015.