Susan Boyle
Trae Patton/NBC
Some in the British press speculate that the Scottish singer, 48, whose album I Dreamed a Dream topped the U.S. and U.K. charts, simply isn't trendy or stylish enough.
"The problem for the Brits is they're supposed to be a celebration of British music – and cool," one source tells the Daily Mail. "And whatever anyone thinks of Susan Boyle, she certainly isn't cool."
Others see the snub as a repudiation of Cowell, who was famously stunned by Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent and guided her career afterward. It shows "how Simon Cowell is regarded by many in the record business," another source tells the paper.
In the category of best British female solo artist, Boyle was bumped by Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Lily Allen, Pixie Lott and Leona Lewis – the latter being a Cowell protégé as well. Boyle was also spurned in the categories of best album and best breakthrough act.
Still, they can't take away her blockbuster success, which Boyle told PEOPLE recently has been a humbling experience.
"To anyone who has a dream I say follow that dream," she said. "You are never too old. It is never too late. And dreams can become a reality."
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