Christmas Number 1 2018: Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and 'The Greatest Showman' among favourites
17 December 2018, 11:17 | Updated: 17 December 2018, 11:21
Who will be Christmas Number 1 for 2018? It's the biggest chart show of the year and the race to Number 1 is on, with Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson, and 'The Greatest Showman' movie among this year's favourites for the top spot.
There are only a few weeks to go before Christmas and that means the battle is on for the Christmas Number 1.
The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 is the UK's biggest chart show so it's a pretty big deal to clinch the top spot at Christmas!
> Best Albums To Buy For Christmas 2018: From Little Mix To Now 101
This year's Christmas Number 1 will be revealed by Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob on Sunday 23rd December 2018.
On Christmas Eve last year, 'River' from Eminem and Ed Sheeran took the prize, beating Ed's own song 'Perfect'.
Who are the favourites for the trophy? We've taken a look at some of the contenders for Christmas Number 1 2018...
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Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus
Mark Ronson - Nothing Breaks Like a Heart (Official Video) ft. Miley Cyrus
Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus' 'Nothing Breaks Like a Heart' is the most likely bet to be this year's Christmas Number 1... because it's the current Number 1!
Mark and Miley joined us on the show as the track climbed two places to reach Number 1 for the first time. Will it be able to hold on to the position for the next seven days? Well, here's who the duo are up against...
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Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Ariana Grande surprised fans with the release of 'thank u, next' in November. It went straight to Number 1 on The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 and was followed by an incredible music video, inspired by iconic 00s movies like Mean Girls.
There's still a lot of hype around the track - will it be enough to give Ari her first Christmas Number 1? She's just released another song titled 'imagine' and that could also climb the chart this week in the run-up to Christmas.
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'The Greatest Showman'
Anne-Marie & James Arthur - Rewrite The Stars [from The Greatest Showman: Reimagined]
The Greatest Showman is one of the biggest films of 2018 and there's a renewed interest in the movie with the release of a new covers album - The Greatest Showman: Reimagined.
The album features famous pop artists putting their own spin of some of the film's best-loved songs. Pink's cover of 'A Million Dreams' has already spent a week at Number 1 and James Arthur and Anne-Marie's 'Rewrite the Stars' has been very close to the top spot. Both are very big contenders to be Christmas Number 1 this year.
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Ava Max
Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho [Official Music Video]
Ava Max's 'Sweet But Psycho' is another exciting contender for this year's Christmas Number 1. It's the first big release from the 24-year-old American singer.
The track was the first Number 1 of this month and has remained in the Top 10 ever since. Going into the Christmas Number 1 week, 'Sweet But Psycho' was at Number 2 - just behind Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson's 'Nothing Breaks Like a Heart'. Will it manage to jump a place on Sunday's Christmas chart?
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'The X Factor' winner Dalton Harris
Dalton and James Arthur duet on X Factor Final | Final | The X Factor UK 2018
The X Factor has produced some of the biggest British acts of the last decade, including Little Mix, One Direction, Olly Murs and (of course) JLS - and the winner's single is always a huge contender for the Christmas Number 1.
Earlier this month, Dalton Harris went to Number 1 with his winners single 'The Power of Love' - a cover of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song, featuring James Arthur. The track was in the Top 10 going into the week so don't rule out Simon Cowell's show clinching another Christmas Number 1.
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Christmas Classics
Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Music Video)
Always a likely contender for the Christmas Number 1 is an actual Christmas song!
There were lots of festive tunes in the chart the week before that could climb as we get closer to the big day. Last year, Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' was at Number 2 on Christmas Eve - could it go all the way in 2018? Perhaps another Christmas classic from Mariah Carey, Slade or The Pogues could take the top spot this time?
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LadBaby
We Built This City ...on Sausage Rolls (Official Music Video) - LadBaby
There are a handful of charity Christmas songs looking to make a big impact on the chart this year, including LadBaby's 'We Built This City ...on Sausage Rolls'.
LadBaby is daddy blogger Mark Hoyle, who was named Celebrity Dad of the Year back in the summer after his funny parenting videos went viral. His song reached Number 5 last Sunday - after just two days on sale - so it's definitely a contender. Proceeds from the track will go to food bank charity, The Trussell Trust
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The Fire Tones
The Fire Tones - 'Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)' [Official Video]
Another charity song hoping to make it to Number 1 is The Fire Tones' cover of
Band Aid’s 'Do They Know It’s Christmas'. The Fire Tones are a group of fire service personnel hoping to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity and the Band Aid Charity Trust.A number of charity singles have claimed the Christmas Number 1 spot in the past. In 2012, The Justice Collective's 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' took the trophy home and in 2011 'Wherever You Are' from Military Wives and Gareth Malone was named Christmas Number 1 on Christmas Day itself!
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Nick Knowles
Nick Knowles - Make You Feel My Love
Back when I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! was on the telly, Radio X DJ Chris Moyles led a campaign to get contestant Nick Knowles to the top of the charts.
Nick's cover of 'Make You Feel My Love' got to Number 1 on iTunes and reached Number 32 on The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 - though with I'm a Celeb no longer on TV, Nick is unlikely to be Number 1 in time for Christmas Day.
