NME Awards: Lorde and Charli XCX lead nominations

Lorde and Charli XCX are the early front runners for the NME Awards 2018

Lorde and Charli XCX lead the way for the NME Awards with four nominations.

The singer-songwriters will both compete for the best track prize, for Green Light and Boys.

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

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is nominated for hero of the year.

One surprise omission from the best album prize is Ed Sheeran's record-breaking third album, Divide.

Lorde's Melodrama is shortlisted though, alongside debut albums from rappers J Hus and Loyle Carner as well as Wolf Alice's Visions Of A Life, Gorillaz' Humanz, and The National's Sleep Well Beast.

Villain of the year

Prime Minister Theresa May joins her opposite number, Mr Corbyn, in getting a nomination.

Although she may not be too impressed with the category she's nominated in - villain of the year - alongside the likes of US President Donald Trump, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as well as TV presenter Piers Morgan and former Apprentice star Katie Hopkins.

Unusually for a politician, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes the shortlist for hero of the year award

Competing with Mr Corbyn for the hero award are pop star Ariana Grande, actress Rose McGowan, Blue Planet 2 presenter David Attenborough, Wolf Alice front woman Ellie Rowsell and Big Shaq, aka comedian Michael Dapaah.

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 which killed 22 people.

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 and tried to get people to vote for him in June's election.

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.

See a full list of the nominations here.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here