Adele, Jessie J and Arctic Monkeys head the nominations for the Q Awards, with three each.
Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Mercury Prize-winner PJ Harvey are among the names who are in the running for two prizes.
Adele - who has sold a colossal three million copies of her 21 album - is up for best female artist, against Laura Marling, Beyonce, Jessie J and PJ Harvey. She has two nominations in the best track category for her singles Rolling In The Deep and Someone Like You.
Competing for the magazine's prized "best act in the world today" award are Muse, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Arcade Fire and U2.
Winners will be named on Monday October 24, at a ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
In addition, a one-off award will go to the best act of the past 25 years.
Voting is at www.qthemusic.com.
Q editor-in-chief Paul Rees said the awards would celebrate readers' "ongoing passion for new and influential music".