MUMBAI: Legendary rocker Rod Stewart has joined the line-up for the 2015 BBC Music Awards. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Living Legend wowed fans earlier this year at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park and is set to the rock 11,000 fans in Birmingham on Thursday 10 December.
Rod Stewart says, “I’m really looking forward to performing at the BBC Music Awards. Birmingham is a terrific city and what a perfect way to round off the year with my loyal UK fans!”

Rod will be joined by three other newly announced acts: singer-songwriter James Bay, country-inspired duo The Shires, and former Beautiful South partners Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott.

Singer-songwriter James Bay caps his extraordinary 2015 with the biggest-selling album released this year reaching number one in the charts, his Glastonbury debut and his hit song Hold Back The River played the world over.

The Shires' 2015 has taken the duo from the C2C (Country 2 Country) Festival and a UK Headline Tour, to Nashville and their Grand Ole Opry debut. Their first album, Brave, made chart history when they became the only UK country act to hit the Top 10, firmly establishing them as one of music's success stories of the year.

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, formerly of The Beautiful South, reunited in 2013 and their first album, What Have We Become, reached the top 5, went gold and was followed by a sold-out UK tour, a trip to Glastonbury and this year’s second UK top 5 album - Wisdom, Laughter and Lines.

They all join a stellar line up of artists (previously announced) including Ellie Goulding, Hozier, Jess Glynne, Little Mix, Mumford & Sons, OMI and One Direction plus BBC Introducing Artist of the Year, Jack Garratt. Together they will celebrate an amazing year in music with the BBC Concert Orchestra helping to create some spectacular performances.

Hosted by Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton, the live event will take place from 4 to 6pm on Thursday 10 December and will be broadcast the same evening on BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2 and bbc website. There will also be coverage of the Red Carpet arrivals, back stage gossip and exclusive interviews and sessions.

Supported by Birmingham City Council, the BBC Music Awards will feature five awards: British Artist of the Year and International Artist of the Year as decided by the BBC Music panel, Song of the Year voted for by members of the public, and a special award for a BBC Introducing artist. This year there will be a new award – BBC Live Performance of the Year – which will be given to the band or artist who has delivered THE stand out BBC Music live moment of 2015, also voted by the BBC Music panel.