LONDON: British singers Adele and James Bay, together with pop-electronica trio Years and Years, led the running for this year's BRITs on Thursday, earning four nominations each at Britain's top music awards.

Adele who has stormed charts worldwide with her album "25", received nods for British female solo artist and MasterCard British album of the year.

In the British female solo artist category, she faces Jess Glynne, Laura Marling, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine as well as late singer Amy Winehouse.

Adele's hit single "Hello" will also compete for British single and British artist video of the year.

British breakthrough act competitors Years and Years and singer-songwriter Bay are also in the running for British single with "King" and "Hold Back the River" respectively.

Bay also faces Adele in the album category for "Chaos and the Calm" alongside Coldplay's "A Head Full of Dreams", Florence and the Machine's "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" and producer Jamie xx's "In Colour".

He is also up for British Male Solo Artist, a group also including Jamie xx, DJ Calvin Harris and producer Mark Ronson.

Years and Years won a nomination for British group alongside Coldplay, Blur, indie rockers Foals and boyband One Direction.

"King" is up for British artist video of the year, a line-up also including Sam Smith's no.1 James Bond theme "Writing's On The Wall", Ed Sheeran's "Photograph", One Direction's "Drag Me Down" and Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do".

That song, which featured on the "Fifty Shades of Grey" soundtrack, is also in the running for British single.

Pop star Justin Bieber, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar and rapper The Weeknd are among those nominated for international male solo artist while American pop singers Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor and Australian Courtney Barnett are included in the running for the female version of the award.

Eagles of Death Metal, who were on stage at the Bataclan when the Paris concert hall was attacked in November, got a nod for international group alongside Irish veterans U2, rockers Alabama Shakes, Tame Impala and electronic music group Major Lazer.

The BRIT Awards, which will feature performances from Adele, Coldplay and Bieber, will be held in London on February 24.