British singer James Blunt has defended Nobel Peace Prize Concert organisers for inviting Morrissey to appear on the bill despite his controversial remarks about the Norway massacre.

Blunt was among a number of stars to perform for an audience in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday (11Dec13), but the run-up to the event was overshadowed by scandal when it emerged the former The Smiths frontman was also in the line-up.

The decision to include Morrissey prompted a storm of protest in the country as the singer previously caused outrage by comparing the 2011 Utoya massacre - in which 77 people were killed - with the meat industry.

Morrissey pointedly declined to attend a press conference ahead of the show, but Blunt used the question-and-answer session to defend his fellow British star.

He said, "Is it right for Morrissey to be playing here? Of course it's right for Morrissey to be playing here. It's in the week that Nelson Mandela died and he spoke of reconciliation and understanding, and so I don't know exactly the words that Morrissey might have said but it's entirely right that we should forgive and move on."