WILL it be third time UNLUCKY for Craig David in the Brit Awards tonight?

Fans of the Southampton soul star - who sensationally lost out at two previous Brit Awards - will be keeping their fingers crossed for their hero in tonight's music awards ceremony at Earls Court, London.

Craig is up for two awards - British Male Solo Artist, in which he competes against Badly Drawn Boy, David Gray, The Streets and Robbie Williams - and British Urban Act, which sees him up against the likes of Beverley Knight, Daniel Bedingfield, Ms Dynamite and So Solid Crew.

The Brits are decided by 1,000 representatives of the British music industry, except for the British Urban Act category, which will be voted on by MTV viewers. If Craig's previous disastrous form is anything to go by, there is every likelihood he could lose out again.

In 2001, when excitement surrounding the teen prodigy was at its height, Craig was nominated in no fewer than six categories but failed to pick up a single Brit.

Last year he walked away empty-handed once again, having been nominated in three categories.

In recent months, appetite for Craig's music in the UK seems to have been on the wane. Two recent singles, What's Your Flava and Hidden Agenda - both taken from his second album Slicker Than Your Average - only made it into the lower reaches of the top ten.

A Brits poll by music store HMV placed Craig third in the running for the British Male Solo Artist award.

Some have blamed this on Craig's extended absence in the USA where he spent 18 months promoting his first, acclaimed album Born To Do It with a series of sell-out concerts.

Southampton music fans, who will be able to watch the awards, hosted by Davina McCall, being transmitted live on ITV, will also be backing Coldplay, the indie group whose drummer, Will Champion, comes from the city.

Coldplay have also been nominated in two categories - British Group and Mastercard British Album - for Rush of Blood to the Head.

For an exclusive, first-hand account of tomorrow's awards by entertainments editor Andrew White, see Friday's Daily Echo.

CRAIG David and a host of other celebrities are backing a 'bowl-d' plan to raise money for charity. Craig is joining stars including Ricky Gervais, Graham Norton and Chris Tarrant in painting dog bowls to be auctioned in aid of Help a London Child. The online auction, inspired by the release of 101 Dalmatians II on DVD, can be visited at www.ebay.co.uk