The BRIT Awards may be hosted by James Corden for the fifth — and final — year in a row, but the U.K. music awards ceremony is expanding its audience internationally via live stream for the first time ever.
The actor of Hulu’s ‘The Wrong Mans’ and Disney’s upcoming ‘Into the Woods’ will emcee the British version of the Grammys on Wednesday, which will be presented throughout a concert-style ceremony. Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Lorde and Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Bastille and Rudimental are set to perform. And like America’s music industry awards night last month, Beyonce is rumored to possibly take the O2 Arena stage.
BRIT Awards Photos: Red Carpet & Show Pics
The Brits will kick off with a performance by the Arctic Monkeys — a noteworthy headliner that will close a controversial history with the awards show. The band refused to attend the ceremony in 2006 (when they won the breakthrough act award), sent a mocking video message as Wizard of Oz characters in 2007, and gave a sarcastic acceptance speech while dressed as country squires in 2008. Their words were drowned out by awards show organizers, and the band has made piece with the Brits as a an acceptance that they’ve become one of the U.K.’s preeminent rock bands, following a Glastonbury Festival headline performance last year.
BRIT Awards: Full List of Nominees
Mars, Perry and Lorde are up for awards in the international categories, competing against Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Pink, Drake, Daft Punk, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Arcade Fire and more.
Dominating the British categories are Disclosure and Bastille each with four nominations, followed by Rudimental and Goulding who are each up for three. One Direction has two nominations, as is David Bowie for his first release in a decade, The Next Day. Sam Smith has already been awarded the annual Critics’ Choice Award.
The BRIT Awards will air on locally on iTV at 8 p.m., but international audiences can tune in at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET to live stream the show below: