Coldplay top nominee at BRIT music awards

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LONDON (Reuters) - Acclaimed British rock band Coldplay and Welsh singer Duffy head the field at the 2009 BRITs, the country's top pop music awards, with four nominations apiece, organizers announced on Tuesday. They are followed by London-born singer/songwriter Adele, indie pop band Scouting For Girls and alternative rockers Elbow, who all appear in three categories. Coldplay are up for best British group and best British album, considered the most prestigious prize at the BRITs, for their multi-million selling record "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends". The group is also up for best British single and British live act. The BRITs' recognition of Duffy, a relative unknown a year ago, caps a year during which her debut album "Rockferry" was Britain's top-selling record in 2008 and boasts worldwide sales of nearly 4.5 million copies. She has been nominated for best album, best single for "Mercy", British female solo artist and British breakthrough act. The best British single award is chosen by live public vote on the night of the awards ceremony. In the international categories, the same five artists are competing both for best international group and international album -- AC/DC, Fleet Foxes, the Killers, Kings of Leon and MGMT. BRITS GO GLOBAL British pop music enjoyed considerable international success in 2008, underlined by its dominance at the industry's top awards, the Grammys, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on February 8. Of the 20 nominations in the four "main" Grammy categories, 13 are British artists, BRITs organizers said. "The list highlights the continued investment in British talent across the UK record industry," said Ged Doherty, chairman of the BRITs Committee. Adele, another female pop artist to make it big in 2008, has been shortlisted for the best British female, British breakthrough and British single categories. Elbow are in the running for best British group and album plus top live act, where they are up against Scouting for Girls who are also nominated for British breakthrough act and single for "Heartbeat". Four other British acts -- Ting Tings, Radiohead, Girls Aloud, and Estelle -- land two nominations apiece in this year's BRITs list. BRITs organizers also announced on Tuesday that Take That and Coldplay will appear at the awards ceremony on February 18th, joining Pet Shop Boys, U2, Kings of Leon, Duffy and Girls Aloud. Hosting the event, held before an audience of over 10,000 people at London's Earls Court, will be Australian star Kylie Minogue.

Coldplay sued over Viva La Vida

LA guitarist Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay, claiming the Grammy-nominated band plagiarised one of his songs.

Satriani alleges Coldplay's Viva La Vida, or Death And All His Friends, "copied and incorporated substantial original portions" of his 2004 guitar instrumental If I Could Fly from his album Is There Love in Space?.

Coldplay's single went straight to number one in the UK charts when it was released in June and spent six weeks in the top spot. The hit also formed the title track of the band's first album in three years.

On Thursday, the Chris Martin-fronted group nabbed seven Grammy nominations, including the coveted record of the year award.

At the same time, 52-year-old Satriani was filing his lawsuit, and requested a jury trial, damages and "any and all profits" attributable to the alleged copyright infringement.

Coldplay - Martin, bassist Guy Berryman, guitarist Johnny Buckland and drummer Will Champion - were accused of plagiarism in June by New York-based Creaky Boards.

They claimed Martin attended one of their gigs before his band went on to use one of their melodies for Viva La Vida.

A Coldplay spokesman said the track was written in March last year, more than six months before the US band claimed Martin went to see them, and totally refuted the Creaky Boards' claim.