Four out of five best group nominees for this year's Brit Awards are not attending the glitzy ceremony in London on Monday.

The Verve, Oasis, Radiohead and Prodigy are all absent. Most claim prior engagements.

The Verve are playing in Brixton on award night

A Brit Awards organiser has slammed the bands who are too trendy to turn up.

Malcom Gerrie, the Brit's television show executive producer, called them hypocrites for snubbing the awards and said they were hurting their fans.

Some bands have denounced the awards as an industry ploy to sell more records at a sluggish time of year.

Mr Gerrie pointed out that bands would not get very far if they did not sell records.

Oasis are in America

"Why do concerts? Why do interviews for NME? Why do promotion at all?" he asked.

Mr Gerrie then turned his attention to some of yesterday's haughty pop stars who are not quite so popular now.

"Stone Roses refused to play at the Brits - where are they now? Portishead wouldn't - not exactly the biggest band in the world," he declared.

The Verve, who are hotly tipped to be heaped with honours, are playing a one-off gig for a homelessness charity in Brixton, south London.

Some of their performance will be relayed to the London Docklands Arena ceremony by satellite.

Radiohead are in Australia

When The Verve won four NME Awards recently they insisted they were brought to their table rather than go up to accept them on stage.

Two years ago it was Oasis who dominated the Brit Awards.They refused all invitations to perform, although they did turn up for "a good night out".

The triple-nominated Oasis are also away this year, touring in America.

Radiohead, also nominated for three awards, are in Australia.

Prodigy have said they will never play at an award ceremony

Prodigy have declared they will never play at an award ceremony and do not always turn up even when they win.
 

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