Singer Robbie Williams will not be in the shortlist for best male at the next Brit Awards, due to strict regulations.
Robbie has won best male at the Brits four times
Award rules mean that Williams, who has won best male four times in the last five years and holds the record number of 14 Brits, does not qualify.
Organisers will not allow him to enter the album Escapology for a second year and his recent Knebworth album is barred because it is a live recording.
He may still have a shot at best single and best pop act, however.
Williams first won best male in 1999 and has since won it every year since 2001.
He has scored top ten hits this year with Come Undone, Something Beautiful and Sexed Up, while the Live At Knebworth album reached No 2 in the charts in October.
Williams played three live shows at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire this summer to a combined audience of over 335,000 fans.
Next year's Brit Awards will be held at London's Earl's Court on 17 February, with the nominees announced on 12 January.
There will be stricter security over the announcement of nominees next year, following media leaks over this year's event.
Details of shortlisted artists will not be given to record companies in advance for fear the news will leak out early to the press.
It was recently announced that rock group Duran Duran will win next year's outstanding contribution award.