FLO, Nia Archives and Cat Burns shortlisted for BRITs Rising Star 2023

The BRITs Rising Star award shortlist is selected by an invited panel of music editors and critics from the national press, online music editors, heads of music at major radio and music TV stations plus songwriters, producers and live bookers - those working with new rising talent on a regular basis.

The award is open to British artists who, as of 31 October 2022, have not yet achieved an Official Album Charts Top 20 placing or achieved more than one Top 20 chart placing in the Official Singles Chart.

Best Fit-favourites FLO – aka 20 year olds Renée, Jorja and Stella - released their debut single "Cardboard Box" seven months back, winning them fans among pop and R&B royalty, such as Brandy, JoJo, SZA, Victoria Monét, Missy Elliott, Kelly Rowland and Sugababes. Their debut EP The Lead dropped in the summer and has now amassed over 70million global streams with a fresh take on R&B that hasn’t been heard in the UK for decades.

22-year-old South Londoner Cat Burns studied at The BRIT School before releasing her debut EP Adolescent, in 2016. Her debut single "Sober" followed two years later and in 2020 she dropped "go", a song which went viral on TikTok towards the end of 2021 and peaked at #2 in the Official Singles Chart this year, becoming Burns' first platinum-selling hit. She's set to support Sam Smith on their UK & Ireland headline tour next Spring.

After leaving home at 16, Nia Archives relocated to Manchester, where her way of getting to know people was through raves and house parties. Forming a close community of like-minded ravers, she took the mic at house parties to sing and freestyle and after working with other producers for a while, she decided to take the reins herself with a cracked version of Logic she downloaded, teaching herself production. Her music channels influences like Roots Manuva, Burial, Amy Winehouse, Radiohead, Erykah Badu, Kelis, Lemon D, Jennifer Lara and her jungle hero Roni Size. She dropped her first EP Headz Gone West – made mainly in the early hours of the morning in her cramped bedroom studio – last August, and has expanded her base of collaborators, working with IZCO, Jakwob, Wu-Lu, V Recordings and more.

Since launching in 2008, the award, originally known as Critics’ Choice, has aimed to identify the future stars of UK music, with past winners including Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Smith, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Ellie Goulding, Sam Fender, Celeste, Griff and last year’s winner Holly Humberstone.

The 2023 Rising Star award winner will be announced on Thursday, 8 December.

Past BRITs Critics’ Choice / Rising Star winners and nominees:

2008 Adele (Duffy, Foals)
2009 Florence + The Machine (Little Boots, White Lies)
2010 Ellie Goulding (Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds)
2011 Jessie J (James Blake, The Vaccines)
2012 Emeli Sandé (Michael Kiwanuka, Maverick Sabre)
2013 Tom Odell (AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula)
2014 Sam Smith (Ella Eyre, Chlöe Howl)
2015 James Bay (George The Poet, Years & Years)
2016 Jack Garratt (Izzy Bizu, Frances)
2017 Rag ’n’ Bone Man (Anne Marie, Dua Lipa)
2018 Jorja Smith (Stefflon Don, Mabel)
2019 Sam Fender (Lewis Capaldi, Mahalia)
2020 Celeste (Beabadoobee, Joy Crookes)
2021 Griff (Pa Salieu, Rina Sawayama)
2022 Holly Humberstone (Bree Runway, Lola Young)