The Ivors Academy announces the nominations for The Ivors 2024 with Amazon Music, recognising and celebrating outstanding songwriters and composers across eight categories – including Best Album, Best Contemporary Song, Best Original Film Score, PRS for Music Most Performed Work and the Rising Star Award with Amazon Music. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony taking place at Grosvenor House, London, on Thursday 23rd May 2024.
Recognised as the pinnacle of creative musical achievement since they were first presented in 1956, winning an Ivor Novello holds a special place in music as they are judged by award-winning songwriters and composers from The Ivors Academy, with winners joining a roll call of greats that includes Adele, Stormzy, Annie Lennox, Sting, Amy Winehouse, Joan Armatrading, Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said, “The 2024 Ivor Novello Award nominees represent a remarkable breadth of talent, showcasing the wide-ranging creativity and innovation that defines British and Irish songwriting and screen composing. From established voices to rising stars, this year’s list reflects an ever-evolving musical landscape and celebrates the writing craft that soundtracks our lives.”
Roberto Neri, Chief Executive of The Ivors Academy, said, “On behalf The Ivors Academy and our community of songwriters and composers, I’m delighted to congratulate all our nominees and thank our members who judge the awards. It is this recognition by your peers that makes an Ivor Novello Award so meaningful, and I look forward to celebrating the highest achievements at an inspiring awards ceremony in May.”
This year, 77 songwriters and composers have received Ivor Novello nominations, with 60% of them receiving a nomination for the very first time. Leading the way are Sampha and Yussef Dayes, who are both up for two Ivors each across the songwriting categories, while composer Daniel Pemberton is nominated twice in the screen categories.
The Ivor Novello for Best Album celebrates consistent and inventive creativity, as well as exceptional songwriting. A variety of genres and styles are represented this year through its nominees, from RAYE's chart-topping pop debut My 21st Century Blues (also written by Mike Sabath) to the bustling jazz record Black Classical Music from Yussef Dayes (also written by Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey). Sampha’s Lahai receives recognition, as do Irish songwriters CMAT for Crazymad, for Me and Lankum for False Lankum (written by Daragh Lynch, Ian Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat).
Presented since 1957, the Ivor Novello for Best Song Musically and Lyrically acknowledges outstanding song craft. Tom Odell receives his second nomination in as many years for “Black Friday”, Yussef Dayes and Sampha both receive their second nomination for co-writing Sampha’s “Spirit 2.0”, and 2023 Rising Star winner Victoria Canal returns with “Black Swan”. Also nominated are The Japanese House for “Sunshine Baby” and Blur for “The Narcissist” – 29 years on from the group’s first Ivors nomination.
The Best Contemporary Song category celebrates originality in songwriting. Jungle’s “Back on 74” gives Lydia Kitto, J Lloyd and Tom McFarland their first Ivor Novello nomination. Fred again.. & Brian Eno’s “Enough” picks up a nod, as does Kae Tempest and jazz ensemble Speakers Corner Quartet for “Geronimo Blues”. Crafted with British songwriters Barney Lister and 2023 Rising Star nominee Ines Dunn, METTE’s “Mama’s Eyes” is celebrated, as are the songwriting team behind Tyla’s international smash, “Water”.
In the PRS for Music Most Performed Work category, the 2022 hit “As It Was” by Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson is nominated for the second year running. Also nominated is PinkPantheress & Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”, Jazzy’s “Giving Me”, Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” and the UK Number 1 track from Dave & Central Cee, “Sprinter”.
Returning for its fifth year, the Rising Star Award with Amazon Music champions Britain and Ireland’s most promising songwriting talents, with three of its past nominees all up for gongs this year (Victoria Canal, PinkPantheress and Ines Dunn). Hoping to claim the prize this year are Blair Davie, Chrissi, Elmiene, Master Peace and Nino SLG – with each songwriter receiving their first Ivor Novello nomination.
The Ivors also recognises Britain and Ireland’s finest composers across film, TV and video games. The nominees for Best Original Film Score are Jerskin Fendrix’s debut film score for the Oscar-winning Poor Things; Daniel Pemberton’s score for Marvel’s animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Carly Paradis’ score for Carol Morley’s feature about the artist Audrey Amiss, Typist Artist Pirate King.
Daniel Pemberton is also nominated in the Best Television Soundtrack category, this time for his work on spy drama Slow Horses. He will be up against Dominik Scherrer for the BBC drama Boat Story, Martin Phipps for the final season of Netflix’s The Crown, Arthur Sharpe’s score for The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies and finally, Benjamin Kwasi Burrell’s soundtrack to Lenny Henry’s six-part ITV drama Three Little Birds.
Nominated for Best Original Video Game Score are three distinct titles. Walter Mair’s soundtrack for the first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III; Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab’s work on the action-adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; and Matthew Chastney’s soundtrack for the immersive puzzle adventure game, Tin Hearts. All three deliver original and exceptionally crafted music in support of the gameplay.
Music fans can now listen to tracks from the nominees on The Ivors 2024 playlist on Amazon Music here.
As previously announced, Bruce Springsteen will become the first-ever international songwriter to become a Fellow of the Academy, the highest honour the Academy bestows.
Ivor Novello Awards will also be presented for the Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music, Outstanding Song Collection with PRS for Music, Visionary Award with Amazon Music, Special International Award, and Outstanding Contribution to British Music.
The Ivors 2024 nominations:
BEST ALBUM
BLACK CLASSICAL MUSIC
written by Yussef Dayes, Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey
performed by Yussef Dayes
music published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Sentric Music
CRAZYMAD, FOR ME
written and performed by CMAT
music published in the UK by BMG
FALSE LANKUM
written by Daragh Lynch, Ian Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat
performed by Lankum
music published in the UK by Beggars Music
LAHAI
written and performed by Sampha
music published in the UK by Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing
MY 21ST CENTURY BLUES
written by RAYE and Mike Sabath
performed by RAYE
music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Sony Music Publishing
BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
BACK ON 74
written by Lydia Kitto, J Lloyd and Tom McFarland
performed by Jungle
music published in the UK by Handsome Dad Publishing-Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing
ENOUGH
written by Brian Eno, Fred Gibson, Buddy Ross and Winnie Raeder
performed by Fred again.. & Brian Eno
music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Promised Land Music-Sony Music Publishing, Heavy Duty-Kobalt Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Ltd
GERONIMO BLUES
written by Kwake Bass, Peter Bennie, Biscuit, Raven Bush and Kae Tempest
performed by Speakers Corner Quartet feat. Kae Tempest
music published in the UK by Warp Publishing and Domino Publishing Company
MAMA’S EYES
written by Todd Dulaney, Ines Dunn, Barney Lister and METTE
performed by METTE
music published in the UK by MNRK Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Promised Land Music-Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Ltd
WATER
written by Imani ‘Mocha’ Lewis, Corey Lindsay-Keay, Jackson Lomastro, Ari PenSmith, Rayo, Sammy Soso and Olmo Zucca
performed by Tyla
music published in the UK by Always Forward Thinking-Kobalt Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd, Concord Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
BLACK FRIDAY
written by Laurie Blundell, Max Clilverd and Tom Odell
performed by Tom Odell
music published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing-UROK Music Publishing
BLACK SWAN
written by Victoria Canal, Jonny Lattimer and Eg White
performed by Victoria Canal
music published in the UK by Second Songs-Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Universal Music Publishing
SPIRIT 2.0
written by Yussef Dayes and Sampha
performed by Sampha
music published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing
SUNSHINE BABY
written by Amber Bain
performed by The Japanese House
music published in the UK by Dirty Hit Songs-Kobalt Music Publishing
THE NARCISSIST
written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree
performed by Blur
music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and BMG
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
AS IT WAS
written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles
performed by Harry Styles
music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Pulse Songs-Concord Music Publishing
BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2
written by Ice Spice, Mura Masa and PinkPantheress
performed by PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, BMG and Sony Music Publishing
GIVING ME
written by Conor Bissett, Robert Griffiths and Jazzy
performed by Jazzy
music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
SPRINTER
written by Central Cee, Dave, Jo Caleb and Jonny Leslie
performed by Dave & Central Cee
music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Kobalt Music Publishing
STRANGERS
written and performed by Kenya Grace
music published by Warner Chappell Music Ltd
RISING STAR AWARD WITH AMAZON MUSIC
Blair Davie
Chrissi
Elmiene
Master Peace
Nino SLG
BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
POOR THINGS
composed by Jerskin Fendrix
music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
composed by Daniel Pemberton
music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
TYPIST ARTIST PIRATE KING
composed by Carly Paradis
BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE III
composed by Walter Mair
STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR
composed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab
music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing
TIN HEARTS
composed by Matthew Chastney
music published in the UK by Sentric Music
BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK
BOAT STORY
composed by Dominik Scherrer
music published in the UK by Du Vinage Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
SLOW HORSES SEASON 3
composed by Daniel Pemberton and Toydrum
music published in the UK by Apple-Sony Music Publishing
THE CROWN THE FINAL SEASON
composed by Martin Phipps
music published in the UK by Du Vinage Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS ARE BASED ON A PACK OF LIES
composed by Arthur Sharpe
music published in the UK by BDi Music obo Sister Pictures and Rights Worldwide
THREE LITTLE BIRDS
composed by Benjamin Kwasi Burrell
