Susan Boyle and Pixie Lott snubbed in UK's pop music 'Oscars'
Her solo career has been marred by accusations of miming - but it doesn't appear to have affected Cheryl Cole’s standing amongst her contemporaries.
The Girls Aloud singer has been nominated for two Brit Awards, as revealed tonight at a glitzy ceremony at the IndigO2 venue in London.
The star, 27, has been shortlisted in the categories for Best British Single, for her hit record Parachute, and Best British Female Artist.
Mime allegations: Cheryl Cole was accused of not singing live when she performed her hit single Promise This on the X Factor in October
Two nominations: Cheryl Cole, who has yet to be seen on the red carpet at the Brit Awards 2011 nominations bash, was last seen on holiday with friend Derek Hough in South Africa last week
However, there was no sign of the star on the red carpet for the unveiling of the nominations, which has already seen a host of stars arrive at the venue in East London, including boyband The Wanted, Tinie Tempah, Olly Murs and Ellie Goulding.
Also on the red carpet and wearing a daring see-through black ace number that showed off her big knickers was Critics Choice Brit Award winner Jessie J.
She was proudly showed off the gong, which has been newly re-designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood, to the waiting photographers. The award acknowledges the mostly hotly-tipped new artist for 2011.
Transparently chuffed: Jessie J shows off her Critics Choice Brit Award - and rather a lot of her body - at the 2011 shortlist announcement ceremony at London's IndigO2
Significant by their absence from the nominations when it comes to homegrown talent however were Marina And The Diamonds, Susan Boyle and Pixie Lott.
Cheryl meanwhile received her nominations after the voting body was widened out to also include artists as well as music industry executives and journalists.
One music industry source said: ‘It is a real coup for Cheryl - and shows she is more than just a bubblegum pop star.’
Scrubbed up: Ellie Goulding, left, who's been nominated for two gongs, and Fearne Cotton, right, both donned little black dresses for the Brit Awards 2011 shortlist announcement
However, it also comes after she was attacked for some of her television performances.
Cheryl was heavily criticised in October when it emerged she had mimed most of her performance on The X Factor, which is – of course – a singing contest.
Show insiders initially denied Cheryl – who is also a judge and mentor on the show - had mimed any part of her hit Promise This. However, they finally had to admit she lip-synched almost the entire song.
It was the second time in a year she had been criticised for miming on the programme.
The star was also lambasted in October 2009 after it emerged she had mimed parts of her performance of her first solo single Fight For This Love.
In it to win Brit: Freshly-minted boyband The Wanted are already up for a Brit Award, despite only releasing debut single All Time Low in August last year
However, to prove her doubters wrong, the Girls Aloud star did sing live at the Royal Variety Performance last month and on Alan Carr's Chatty Man over the festive period.
Certainly, the two nominations come at the end of a traumatic year for the star.
Eleven months ago, her marriage to Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole, 30, collapsed after he was accused of being a serial love cheat.
At last year’s Brit Awards, she performed her chart-topping single Fight For This Love without her wedding ring on – symbolising the end of the marriage.
In June, the star – now said to be dating US dancer Derek Hough - then contacted malaria which, at one point, was life-threatening.
Like Cheryl, Take That – now a quintet again following the return of Robbie Williams last July – are nominated for two awards, including the prestigious Best British Album gong.
Lads night out: Tinie Temper, left, is leading the field with four nominations - Best Male Solo Artist, Breakthrough Act and Best British Single - but DJ Ironik had just gone along to the IndigO2 for the bunfight
Leading the field in the nominations however is Tinie Tempah, a rapper from Plumstead, south east London.
The 22-year-old, whose debut album Disc-Overy went to No1 following its release last October, has been shortlisted in four categories.
Amongst those with three nominations are Plan B – aka rapper Ben Drew - Mumford & Sons and The xx.
Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Mumford & Sons and The xx will battle Take That for the Best British Album award.
Toast of the town: Tinie Tempah performed a duet with fellow newcomer Goulding
Boy band The Wanted, who performed last night, received their first ever Brit nomination for their No.1 single All Time Low.
It comes after they were announced as the new faces of 'Make Mine Milk' campaign, which encourages young people to drink more milk.
The nominations come as part of a push by organisers for the Brits to be a showcase of ‘cool, young Britannia'.
As a result, the awards themselves have been re-designed by Vivienne Westwood and the Outstanding Contribution gong has been ‘rested’ so the public concentrate on the present rather than the past.
Show us what you got: Newcomer Jessie performed her single Do It Like A Dude
The event has also moved from the long-standing venue Earl’s Court to the modern O2 Arena in Greenwich, south east London, the bigger next door neighbour of the IndigO2.
Nevertheless, the old guard of music were represented.
Legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant received a nomination for Best British Solo Artist following the release of his highly-acclaimed solo album Band Of Joy last September.
Astonishingly, it is the first time Plant, 62, has ever been short-listed for a Brit Award.
There was less good news for Britain’s most successful artist globally in recent times, however.
Susan Boyle has sold more than 15million albums since her debut album was released at the end of November 2009 and the Britain's Got Talent runner-up was voted the 7th Most Influential Person In The World by Time magazine last year.
On song: The Wanted performed their Brit-nominate hit single - and first ever release - All Time Low at the shortlist unveiling bash
However, she has once again been snubbed by the Brit Awards. One music industry insider said: ‘She’s not cool and she’s not young…so she’s not for the Brits.’
The actual awards ceremony will take place at the O2 on 15 February hosted by Gavin And Stacey star James Corden.
He said: ‘I have always loved the Brits and I am honoured to have been asked to host such a prestigious event.’
It's thought he will be playing it straight at the gig rather than for laughs, when he previously co-hosted the awards in 2009 with Kylie Minogue and his Gavin And Stacey co-star Mathew Horne - and his jokes fell woefully flat.
BRIT AWARDS 2011 - FULL LIST OF NOMINEES
British Male Solo Artist - Mark Ronson; Paul Weller; Plan B; Robert Plant; Tinie Tempah.
British Female Solo Artist - Cheryl Cole; Ellie Goulding; Laura Marling; Paloma Faith; Rumer.
British Breakthrough Act - Ellie Goulding; Mumford And Sons; Rumer; Tinie Tempah; The xx.
British Group - Biffy Clyro; Gorillaz; Mumford And Sons; Take That; The XX.
British Single - Alexandra Burke ft Pitbull - All Night Long; Cheryl Cole - Parachute; Florence And The Machine - You've Got The Love; Matt Cardle - When We Collide; Olly Murs - Please Don't Let Me Go; Plan B - She Said; Scouting For Girls - This Ain't A Love Song; Taio Cruz - Dynamite; Tinie Tempah - Pass Out; The Wanted - All Time Low.
MasterCard British Album of the Year - Mumford And Sons - Sigh No More; Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks; Take That - Progress; Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy; The XX - XX.
International Male Solo Artist - Bruce Springsteen; Cee Lo Green; David Guetta; Eminem; Knye West.
International Female Solo Artist - Alicia Keys; Katy Perry; Kylie Minogue; Rihanna; Robyn.
International Breakthrough Act - Bruno Mars; Glee Cast; Justin Bieber; The National; The Temper Trap.
International Group - Arcade Fire; Black Eyed Peas; Kings Of Leon; The Script; Vampire Weekend.
International Album - Arcade Fire - The Suburbs; Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer; Eminem - Recovery; Katy Perry - Teenage Dream; Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown.
Critics' Choice - Jessie J
British Producer - Ethan Johns; John Leckie; Markus Dravs; Mike Pela; Stuart Price.