Sam Smith.

Sam Smith heads the nominations for this year’s Brit Awards after being shortlisted for five awards, narrowly ahead of Ed Sheeran and George Ezra who are up for four apiece.

Soul singer Smith, 22, is in the running for prizes such as best male, best album and best newcomer at the prize bash to be staged next month.

Rock duo Royal Blood will compete for a trio of awards, while singer Jess Glynne also finds her name on the shortlists three times as a guest vocalist on singles by Route 94 and Clean Bandit.

Smith goes up against Sheeran, Ezra and Paolo Nutini for best male as well as Damon Albarn who collects his first Brit nomination in his own right after years of acclaim for his output with acts such as Blur and Gorillaz.

Smith’s release In the Lonely Hour lines up for the best album award against Sheeran’s x, Alt-J’s This is All Yours, Ezra’s Wanted on Voyage and Royal Blood’s self-titled debut. Smith’s single Stay with Me competes for best single and best video.

Sheeran also competes for best single and best video for Thinking Out Loud, while Ezra is up for best breakthrough act and best single for his track Budapest.

Take That were among the omissions from the nominations

Take That were among the omissions from the nominations with their comeback as a trio failing to pick up any nods.

Although many of the British categories were dominated by male artists, FKA Twigs and Ella Henderson were among the female performers who picked up two nominations. They are both up for solo British female along with Jessie Ware, Lily Allen and Paloma Faith.

The international group category sees US act The War on Drugs – whose album Lost in the Dream was seen by many critics as a highpoint of 2014 – taking on Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, along with more chart friendly names Foo Fighters, 5 Seconds of Summer and The Black Keys.

Taylor Swift – who will be among the acts performing when the awards are staged on February 25 at the O2 Arena in London – has been shortlisted for best international female along with Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Sia and St Vincent.