The Ivors Academy announce nominations for The Ivors 2021

66th Ivor Novello Award winners will be announced at Grosvenor House, London on Tuesday 21st September

The Ivors Academy has today announced the nominations for The Ivors with Apple Music 2021, across eight categories for songs, albums, screen and video game scores - as well as Songwriter of the Year and PRS for Music Most Performed Work.

Recognised as a pinnacle of creative musical achievement since they were first presented in 1956, Ivor Novello Awards are particularly important to the music community as they represent peer recognition. 

This year’s list of 33 nominations celebrates 70 individual music creators, including Harry Styles, Lianne La Havas, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, AJ Tracey and Laura Marling - with an incredible 50 (70%) of the nominees receiving their first Ivor Novello accolade.

There are eight award categories recognising music released in the UK in 2020 written by British or Irish songwriters and screen composers. This year the Ivors Academy increased the number of works nominated across most categories to further celebrate the work of exceptionally talented music creators.

In the Best Album category, Lianne La Havas, and her co-writer Matthew Hales, are nominated for a second time for her self-titled ‘Lianne La Havas’, nine years after her debut album also received Ivor Novello recognition. Irish rockers Fontaines D.C., for ‘A Hero’s Death’, Laura Marling, for ‘Song for Our Daughter’, and Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes and Rocco Palladino for ‘What Kinda Music’, all receive their first ever nominations. Finally, Pa Salieu’s ‘Send Them to Coventry’ is also nominated, following Pa being crowned winner of BBC Sound of 2021. 

In Best Contemporary Song, Dave and Fraser T Smith are nominated for an impressive third time in the category for ‘Children of the Internet’. Ashnikko’s transcending audio-digital collaboration with TikTok and Dr Dre, ‘Daisy’ – written by Ashnikko and Slinger - and For Those I Love’s ‘Top Scheme’ are also nominated. A second nomination for Pa Salieu with ‘Energy’ – co-written with Kwes Darko, Felix Joseph, Mahalia and Alastair O’Donnell, also marks Mahalia’s first ever nomination. Rising Star Award with Apple Music nominee, Rachel Chinouriri, receives further recognition for ‘Give Me A Reason’ – co-written with Tom Henry. 

The Best Original Film Score category includes first-time nominees Adam Janota Bzowski for the music to psychological horror film ‘Saint Maud’, as well as Blanck Mass for BAFTA nominationed ‘Calm with Horses’. They are joined by previous Ivor Novello nominee, Anne Nikitin for the ‘Four Kids and It’ film score. 

The film scores for animation ‘Two by Two: Overboard!’ by Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eimear Noone and the trending Netflix-hit ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, based on the trial of a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters in Chicago in 1968 – composed by Daniel Pemberton – are also nominated within the category. 

Best Original Video Game Score includes Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi’s ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ for PlayStation, the score for adventure game ‘Little Orpheus’ by Jessica Curry and Jim Fowler, and the intricately hand-painted ‘Ori and the Will of the Wisps’ score - composed by Gareth Coker. 

Featuring a breadth of powerful themes, Best Song Musically and Lyrically sees Arlo Parks and co-writer Gianluca Buccellati pick up their first nomination for ‘Black Dog’ – which focuses on mental health. Also receiving a nomination, Headie One and Fred again..’s ‘GANG’ reframes the song’s namesake, moving away from negative connotations associated with the word, to emphasise loyalty and brotherhood. 

Marina receives recognition for lead single ‘Man’s World’ from her fifth studio album, which touches upon misogyny and was made by an all-female team. ‘God’s Own Children’ by Barney Lister and Obongjayar and ‘Stop This Flame’ written by Celeste and Jamie Hartman emotively draw upon the topics of strength and resilience to also earn them nominations for The Ivors 2021. 

The Best Television Soundtrack includes a quartet of book-to-screen adaptations from the BBC; with ‘Us’ composed by Oli Julian, cult-classic ‘Noughts + Crosses’ composed by Matthew Herbert and ‘Dracula’ by James Bond composer and previous Ivor Novello Award winner David Arnold, with Michael Price, as well as ‘A Suitable Boy’ by Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar, all receiving nominations. Completing the nominations for this category is American science fiction thriller ‘Devs’ composed by Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and The Insects. 

This year’s nominations for PRS for Music Most Performed Work celebrate a collection of songwriters for five smash-hit songs from the last year. Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon lead the category with two nominations for ‘Watermelon Sugar’ – co-written with Tyler Johnson and Mitchell Rowland and ‘Adore You’ – co-written with Amy Allen and Tyler Johnson. 

Also nominated, after having previously climbed to the top of the charts, are two entries from Lewis Capaldi: ‘Someone You Loved’ – written by Capaldi and Tom Barnes, Pete Kelleher, Ben Kohn and Sam Roman and ‘Before You Go’ – written by Capaldi, Tom Barnes, Pete Kelleher, Ben Kohn and Phil Plested. Finally, songwriters Jonathan Courtidis, Dan Dare and Robert Harvey receive a nomination for co-writing ‘Head & Heart’, the number one record from Joel Corry and MNEK. 

For the first time there are five nominees for Songwriter of the Year. The award recognises a songwriter or songwriting partnership who wrote an outstanding body of successful songs commercially released in 2020 and this year includes AJ Tracey, who saw top-five success in the UK charts with three of his releases last year, and Kamille who co-wrote songs released by Little Mix, Mabel, Dua Lipa, Clean Bandit, Headie One and Tiesto. 

Celeste is joined by her co-writer Jamie Hartman as they go head-to-head with multi-nominated Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles, following Harry’s second solo album going platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. MNEK is also recognised in the category for co-writing chart-toppers for Little Mix, KSI, Sigala, Paloma Faith, Steps and Dua Lipa in 2020.  

Each category is judged by individual panels of Academy-invited songwriters and composers, except the PRS for Music Most Performed Work and Songwriter of the Year.

The PRS for Music Most Performed Work winner is based on 2020 performance data from PRS for Music, whilst the Songwriter of the Year nominees have been chosen by The Ivors Awards Committee, the winner of which will be decided by an Academy member vote for the first time.

Over the last year we’ve felt the power of songwriting and the stories told through music. The Ivors are so important because they celebrate where all the music begins - with songwriters and composers. The judges have chosen a selection of exceptional music that moves, unites and inspires us. Congratulations to all our nominees, and I’m really delighted that the majority are recognised with an Ivor nomination for the first time.

The Ivors 2021 Nominations are:

Best Album

•  A Hero's Death -Written by Grian Chatten, Thomas Coll, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan and Carlos O’Connell. Performed by Fontaines D.C. Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company.
• Lianne La Havas - Written by Matthew Hales and Lianne La Havas. Performed by Lianne La Havas. Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music.
• Send Them To Coventry - Written by Felix Joseph, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu. Performed by Pa Salieu. Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Neo Songs-BMG UK and Sony Music Publishing.
• Song For Our Daughter - Written by Laura Marling. Performed by Laura Marling. Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing.
• What kinda Music - Written by Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch and Rocco Palladino. Performed by Tom Misch + Yussef Dayes. Published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing.

Best Contemporary Song

• Children Of The Internet - Written by Dave and Fraser T Smith. Performed by Future Utopia feat. Dave & Es Devlin. Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Kobalt Music Publishing.
• Daisy - Written by Ashnikko and Slinger. Performed by Ashnikko. Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Copyright Control.
• Energy - Written by Kwes Darko, Felix Joseph, Mahalia, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu. Performed by Pa Salieu feat. Mahalia. Published in the UK by Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing, Neo Songs-BMG UK and Sony Music Publishing.
• Give Me A Reason - Written by Rachel Chinouriri and Tom Henry. Performed by Rachel Chinouriri. Published in the UK by Reservoir Reverb Music.
• Top Scheme - Written by David Balfe. Performed by For Those I Love. Published in the UK by September Music Publishing-Universal Music Publishing.

Best Original Film Score

• Calm With Horses - Composed by Blanck Mass. Published in the UK by BMG UK.
• Four Kids and It - Composed by Anne Nikitin. Published in the UK by FKAI Productions.
• Saint Maud - Composed by Adam Janota Bzowski. Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing.
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 - Composed by Daniel Pemberton. Published in the UK by KMR Music Royalties II SCSP.
• Two By Two: Overboard! - Composed by Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eimear Noone. Published in the UK by Accorder Music.

Best Original Video Game Score

• Ghost Of Tsushima - Composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi.
• Little Orpheus - Composed by Jessica Curry and Jim Fowler.
• Ori And The Will Of The Wisps - Composed by Gareth Coker.

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

• Black Dog - Written by Gianluca Buccellati and Arlo Parks. Performed by Arlo Parks. Published in the UK by One Two Many Songs-Sony Music Publishing and Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing.
• Gang - Written by Fred again.. and Headie One. Performed by Headie One & Fred again.. Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing.
• God's Own Children - Written by Barney Lister and Obongjayar. Performed by Obongjayar. Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Beggars Music.
• Man's World - Written by Marina. Performed by Marina. Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music.
• Stop This Flame - Written by Celeste and Jamie Hartman. Performed by Celeste. Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Reservoir Reverb Music.

Best Television Soundtrack

• A Suitable Boy - Composed by Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar. Published in the UK by Bright Notion Music-Decca Publishing, Anourag Music Publishing, Lookout Point-BBC Studios Distribution.
• Devs - Composed by Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and The Insects. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing.
• Dracula - Composed by David Arnold and Michael Price. Published in the UK by Bucks Music Group and Sony Music Publishing.
• Noughts + Crosses - Composed by Matthew Herbert. Published in the UK by Bucks Music Group and Sony Music Publishing
• US - Composed by Oli Julian. Published in the UK by Concord FTV.

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

• Adore You - Written by Amy Allen, Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles. Performed by Harry Styles. Published in the UK by Artist Publishing Group West-Kobalt Music Publishing, Concord Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing.
• Before You Go - Written by Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pete Kelleher, Ben Kohn and Phil Plested. Performed by Lewis Capaldi. Published in the UK by BMG UK and Hotel Cabana-Sony Music Publishing.
• Head & Heart - Written by Jonathan Courtidis, Dan Dare and Robert Harvey. Performed by Joel Corry feat. MNEK. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and Minds On Fire.
• Soneone You Loved - Written by Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pete Kelleher, Ben Kohn and Sam Roman. Performed by Lewis Capaldi. Published in the UK by BMG UK and Sony Music Publishing.
• Watermelon Sugar - Written by Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon, Mitchell Rowland and Harry Styles. Performed by Harry Styles. Published in the UK by Concord Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing.

Songwriter of the Year

• AJ Tracey
• Celeste and Jamie Hartman
• Kamille
• Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles
• MNEK

Previously announced are the nominees for this year’s Rising Star Award with Apple Music: Allegra, Holly Humberstone, Kamal., Rachel Chinouriri and Willow Kayne.

Recipients of the Rising Star Award with Apple Music will be announced at The Ivors on Tuesday 21st September, at Grosvenor House, London.

About The Ivors Academy

The Ivors Academy is the UK’s independent professional association for music creators. We represent and champion a diverse, talented community of songwriters and composers. We are a self-funded not-for-profit organisation, relying on the continued support of our members and partners to carry on our work. 

Our Ivor Novello Awards are the ultimate accolade for songwriting and composition in the industry. The Ivors with Apple Music celebrate the talents of songwriters and screen composers, and The Ivors Composer Awards recognise music creators in the classical, jazz and sound art fields.