Dame Vera Lynn and Tokio Myers lead Classic BRIT Awards 2018 nominations

Dame Vera Lynn and Tokio Myers lead this year's Classic BRIT Awards nominations.

The first Classic BRITs in five years takes place live from the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, June 13, with the centenarian and Britain's Got Talent winner being the two acts heading up the noms.

Dame Vera, the oldest artist to score a UK Number 1 album, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and is also nominated in the Female Artist of the Year and Classic FM Album of the Year categories. Her Number 3-peaking album 100, helped Vera make Official Chart history in 2017 as the first artist aged 100+ to ever enter the Top 10.

Pianist and producer Tokio Myers is guaranteed the Classic BRITs Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award, and is also in the running for the Male Artist of the Year and Classic FM Album of the Year.

Legendary composer Hans Zimmer has also received three nods, all being in the same category. His work for the movies Dunkirk and Blade Runner 2049, plus the breathtaking Blue Planet II TV series all are nominated in the Soundtrack of the Year category.

Hans faces stiff competition from The Greatest Showman soundtrack, which tied Adele's record for the longest consecutive reign at Number 1 of the past 30 years on the Official Albums Chart.

Sheridan Smith, Alexander Armstrong and Michael Ball & Alfie Boe are recognised in two categories each, while Leading Ladies, Bradley Walsh and royal wedding performer Sheku Kennah-Mason - the youngest ever cellist to impact the Official Albums Chart Top 20 - could also take BRITs home come June 13.

The full list of nominations for the Classic BRIT Awards 2018 are:

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Beatrice Rana

Renée Fleming

Sheridan Smith

Tina Guo

Dame Vera Lynn

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Alexander Armstrong

Jonas Kaufmann

Max Richter

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Tokio Myers

CLASSIC BRITs BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Tokio Myers


SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD (TBA)

GROUP OF THE YEAR

2CELLOS

Ayoub Sisters

Michael Ball & Alfie Boe

Cecilia Bartoli & Sol Gabetta

Jools Holland & Jose Feliciano

SOUNDTRACK OF THE YEAR

Hans Zimmer

Dunkirk – OST

Hans Zimmer/ Benjamin Wallfisch

Blade Runner 2049 – OST

Hans Zimmer/ Jacob Shea/

David Fleming

Blue Planet II – OST

John Debney/ Joseph Trapanese

The Greatest Showman – OST

Olafur Arnalds

Broadchurch – The Final Chapter – OST

CRITICS’ CHOICE WITH APPLE MUSIC (TBA)

SOUND OF CLASSICAL 2018 (TBA)

CLASSIC FM ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Alexander Armstrong

In A Winter Light

Andre Rieu

Amore

Bradley Walsh

When You’re Smiling

Jools Holland & Jose Feliciano

As You See Me Now

Leading Ladies

Songs From The Stage

Michael Ball & Alfie Boe

Together Again

RPO/Roy Orbison

A Love So Beautiful

Sheridan Smith

Sheridan

Tokio Myers

Our Generation

Dame Vera Lynn

100

CLASSIC BRITs ICON 2018 (TBA)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dame Vera Lynn