The nominations for the 2014 Brit Awards were announced on Thursday evening - and the results shed an interesting light on the current state of British music. Arctic Monkeys, somewhat predictably, turn up in the Best British Group and Best British Album categories. The likes of David Bowie and James Blake add an auteristic element to the Best British Male Solo Artist category, while Ellie Goulding, Laura Marling and Jessie will be the favourites for the female equivalent of the same prize. Disclosure and Bastille are tied for the most nods with four apiece. You can scroll down for the full nominations.

If the British categories lack a little variety and charisma, the international nominations are quite the opposite. A curious patchwork of artists make up the numbers in the Best International Male category, with Bruno Mars, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Drake and John Grant rubbing shoulders in there. The female version sees Lorde in there with Pink, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Janelle Monae. Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, Haim, Kings of Leon and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will battle it out in the Best International Group category.

Arctic Monkeys, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars, Bastille and Rudimental are all set to perform at the event, which will once again be hosted by professional tux-wearer James Corden. There have also been rumblings in the press that Beyonce might even show up which has, quite predictably, overshadowed almost everything else that was announced last night - which perhaps says a little bit about the stature of the Brits Awards as an institution.

Creatively speaking there is a lot going on in British music at the moment. Disclosure are as exciting an electronic act as has been unearthed in years, while London Grammar and Bastille made huge, artistic leaps but, even in this age of instant communication and live blogging, does anybody really know anything significant about them? Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner is undeniably an interesting character but he's borrowed most of his personality from Elvis, Josh Homme and Morrissey. Given the name of this awards ceremony it's curious to see the lack of personality in the homegrown categories, especially when compared to the international characters who will be on show.

No offence to Tom Odell but you can understand why a potential Beyonce performance is the big story from last night's nominations.

How and ever, the full list of nominations are as follows:

BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST
David Bowie
Jake Bugg
James Blake
John Newman
Tom Odell

BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Birdy
Ellie Goulding
Jessie J
Laura Marling
Laura Mvula

BRITISH GROUP
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Disclosure
One Direction
Rudimental

BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Bastille
Disclosure
Laura Mvula
London Grammar
Tom Odell

CRITICS' CHOICE
Sam Smith (Winner)
Chlöe Howl
Ella Eyre

BRITISH SINGLE
Bastille - Pompeii
Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love
Disclosure ft AlunaGeorge - White Noise
Ellie Goulding - Burn
John Newman - Love Me Again
Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith - La La La
Olly Murs - Dear Darlin'
One Direction - One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)
Passenger - Let Her Go
Rudimental ft Ella Eyre - Waiting All Night

MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Arctic Monkeys - AM
Bastille - Bad Blood
David Bowie - The Next Day
Disclosure - Settle
Rudimental - Home

BRITISH PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Ethan Johns
Flood (Mark Ellis) & Alan Moulder
Paul Epworth

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST
Bruno Mars
Drake
Eminem
John Grant
Justin Timberlake

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Janelle Monae
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Lorde
Pink

INTERNATIONAL GROUP
Arcade Fire
Daft Punk
Haim
Kings of Leon
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis