Entertainment25 March, 20262 min read
Ivors Academy unveils nominations for 71st Ivor Novello Awards in London
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Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Lily Allen among Ivors nominees. London ceremony on May 21 at JW Marriott Grosvenor House.
Nominations Announcement
The Ivors Academy has announced nominations for the 71st annual Ivor Novello Awards, honoring British and Irish songwriters and composers. Leading acts including Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, Lily Allen, Coldplay, CMAT, and Florence + the Machine are receiving multiple nominations. The peer-judged awards celebrate 'the craft, originality and cultural impact of songs and screen compositions.'
“Olivia Dean, Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice, Jacob Alon, Self Esteem and Kae Tempest lead this year's Ivor Novello awards for excellence in British and Irish songwriting, with two nominations apiece.”
Sixty-one individual British, Irish or U.K.-resident songwriters and composers, along with their international collaborators, have received recognition. Academy chair Tom Gray emphasized that 'to be recognised by your peers for exceptional craft and originality at The Ivors is one of the greatest honours in music writing.' Chief executive Roberto Neri noted that 'an Ivor Novello Award has for over 70 years been the most prestigious recognition of excellence in music.'
Gender Disparity
This year's nominations reveal significant gender disparities in British and Irish music. There are more than twice as many male nominees (40) than female (19), plus two non-binary artists among the 61 recognized songwriters and composers. Research by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California found that female songwriters across the 1,400 most popular songs decreased from 18.9% in 2024 to 14.5% in 2025.
The gender imbalance extends to specific categories. The best original film score soundtrack category is entirely comprised of male composers. This indicates persistent challenges for female musicians despite their significant contributions.
Leading Nominees
Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell, Jacob Alon, Self Esteem, and Kae Tempest each receive two nominations. Little Simz picks up her fifth Ivor Novello nomination for 'Free' in Best Contemporary Song. Little Simz previously won Best Album in 2020 and Best Contemporary Song in 2022.
“Among the leading nominees, Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell, Jacob Alon, Self Esteem (with co-writer Johan Hugo), and Kae Tempest (with co-writer Fraser T Smith) each receive two nominations.”
Lola Young receives her fourth nomination, including recognition for 'Messy' in the Most Performed Work category. Damon Albarn earns his fifth nomination for 'Damascus' and has previously won Songwriter of the Year twice.
Categories & Nominations
This year's nominations showcase diverse categories including Best Album, Best Contemporary Song, Best Song Musically and Lyrically, PRS for Music Most Performed Work, Rising Star Award with Amazon Music, Best Original Film Score, and Best Television Soundtrack. The Best Album category features works by Jim Legxacy for 'Black British Music,' CMAT for 'Euro Country,' Olivia Dean for 'The Art of Loving,' Wolf Alice for 'The Clearing,' and Lily Allen for 'West End Girl.'
Best Contemporary Song nominees include Gorillaz's 'Damascus,' Little Simz's 'Free,' Self Esteem's 'I Do and I Don't Care,' and Kae Tempest's 'I Stand on the Line' and 'Know Yourself.' These categories highlight the breadth and depth of songwriting excellence being recognized.
AI Context
The Ivors are positioned as 'a powerful affirmation of human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters' amid AI concerns. This comes amid growing concerns about how artificial intelligence will affect musicians' livelihoods and creative processes. The awards ceremony takes place on May 21 at Grosvenor House in London.
“Billing the awards as recognising 'exceptional craft, originality and cultural impact in songwriting and screen composing', the Ivors have also this year positioned themselves as 'a powerful affirmation of human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters' as many are asking fearful questions about how AI will affect musicians' livelihoods.”
The Ivors celebrate enduring human creativity while addressing contemporary industry challenges. The awards join a prestigious roll call of past winners including Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, and many other legendary artists.
