Her debut album may be months away and a US #1 still out of her reach, but it’s safe to say Rita Ora is the breakout act of 2012.
Rising from the streets of West London to become Jay Z‘s latest protegee, Ora’s time on the shelf- 5 years to be exact- has undoubtedly been worth the wait.
For, one week after scoring her 2nd UK #1 single, she has landed a nomination at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards.
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Up against Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Beyonce, Rita is nominated for the ‘Most Influential Style’ award, marking her biggest award show related feat to date.
As if that wasn’t enough, she is also nominated for the ‘New Style Icon Of 2012’ award, in which fellow newbies Azealia Banks and One Direction are in the run for. All of this hours after label boss Jay Z praised the former sales clerk during an interview with VEVO, explaining:
The first time I truly saw her on stage was at the Cartier event in New York City.
To have that sort of stage presence and that sort of energy—the music went off and she still was like, more. She still wanted to go. She jumped off the stage at one point, dancing with the crowd, a great moment.
On her style:
Being from London and all, she has that bit of Brit rock, you know, punk rock feeling to her which I love.When she enters the room, it changes.
And that presence, you can’t duplicate that. Especially at such a young age. It was just infectious to me that she loves this. She’s driven in that way.