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Harry Styles, Arctic Monkeys, Wet Leg, Stormzy and Little Simz are among the artists nominated for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting.

Other artists on the shortlist include Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, and Cleo Sol and Inflo – as well as Kate Bush, whose 1980s hit Running Up That Hill is shortlisted as one of the top five most performed songs of 2022 thanks to its revival in sci-fi series Stranger Things.

Raye is also nominated for best contemporary song for Escapism – the hit that stormed the charts after she cut ties with her record label and went independent. The track is up against songs including Hide And Seek by Stormzy, and Payback by Kojey Radical featuring Knucks.

Little Simz. Pic: Ivor Novello Awards
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Little Simz. Pic: Ivor Novello Awards

Styles and his songwriting partner Kid Harpoon have three nominations, including for songwriter of the year – up against Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers (Wet Leg), George Daniel and Matty Healy (The 1975), and Central Cee and Young Chencs.

Cleopatra Nikolic (Cleo Sol) and Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover are also up for three awards together.

Arctic Monkeys, Little Simz, Fontaines DC, SAULT and Obongjayar are the five artists shortlisted for best album, while Cat Burns, Ines Dunn, tendai, venbee and Victoria Canal are up for the rising star prize.

The Ivor Novello Awards recognise creative musical achievement in songwriting and composition, and also celebrate a number of singer-songwriters and groups for their wider contribution to UK music.

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Kate Bush makes rare statement

In total, some 72 individual songwriters and composers have been recognised, with more than half (54%) receiving a nomination for the very first time.

Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “The music nominated for an Ivor Novello this year is testament to the power and range of British and Irish songwriting and screen composing. It’s a superlative list and on behalf of The Ivors Academy I’m delighted to congratulate every writer nominated for their craft and achievements.”

Rhian Teasdale, left, and Hester Chambers of Wet Leg pose in the press room with the awards for best alternative music performance for "Chaise Lounge" and best alternative music album for "Wet Leg" at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Rhian Teasdale, left, and Hester Chambers of Wet Leg at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Pic: AP

This year, as previously announced, Sting is expected to become a fellow of the Ivors Academy, its highest honour – following in the footsteps of artists including Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox and Joan Armatrading.

Other special awards to be announced include prizes for outstanding song collection and an icon award.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in London on Thursday 18 May.

The full list of nominees

FILE PHOTO: British artist Stormzy performs on the main stage at Reading Festival, in Reading, Britain, August 27, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
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Stormzy on stage at Reading Festival in 2021

BEST ALBUM
11 – written by Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover, Jamar McNaughton, Cleopatra Nikolic and Jack Peñate, performed by SAULT

No Thank You – written by Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover, Little Simz and Cleopatra Nikolic, performed by Little Simz

Skinty Fia – written by Grian Chatten, Thomas Coll, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan and Carlos O’Connell, performed by Fontaines DC

Some Nights I Dream Of Doors – written by Barney Lister and Obongjayar, performed by Obongjayar

The Car – written by Alex Turner, performed by Arctic Monkeys

BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
Cold Summer – written by Wesley Joseph and Leon Vynehall, performed by Wesley Joseph

Escapism – written by 070 Shake, Raye and Mike Sabath, performed by Raye & 070 Shake

Hide & Seek – written by Owen Cutts, P2J, PRGRSHN and Stormzy, performed by Stormzy

Leon The Professional – written by Knucks, Venna and Toshifumi Hinata, performed by Knucks

Payback – written by Knucks, Kojey Radical and Swindle, performed by Kojey Radical featuring Knucks

Sigourney Weaver in Avatar: The Way Of Water. Pic: 20th Century Studios
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Sigourney Weaver in Avatar: The Way Of Water. Pic: 20th Century Studios

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
Avatar: The Way Of Water – composed by Simon Franglen

Death On The Nile – composed by Patrick Doyle

Don’t Worry Darling – composed by John Powell

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris – composed by Rael Jones

The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain – composed by Arthur Sharpe

BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
Gotham Knights – composed by The Flight

Horizon Forbidden West – composed by Joris de Man, Oleksa Lozowchuk and The Flight

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope – composed by Gareth Coker, Grant Kirkhope and Yoko Shimomura

10 June 2022, Berlin: Singer Florence Leontine Mary Welch of the English band "Florence + the Machine" performs on stage at the Tempelhof Sounds Festival on the grounds of the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport. Photo by: Britta Pedersen/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Florence Welch. Pic: Britta Pedersen/picture-alliance/AP

BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
As It Waswritten by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles, performed by Harry Styles

Best Day Of My Life – written by Laurie Blundell and Tom Odell, performed by Tom Odell

Complex – written and performed by Katie Gregson-Macleod

King – written by Jack Antonoff and Florence Welch, performed by Florence + The Machine

Stronger – written by Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover and Cleopatra Nikolic, performed by SAULT

PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
As It Was – written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles, performed by Harry Styles

Bad Habits – written by FRED, Johnny McDaid and Ed Sheeran, performed by Ed Sheeran

Heat Waves – written by Dave Bayley, performed by Glass Animals

Running Up That Hill – written and performed by Kate Bush

Shivers – written by Johnny McDaid, Kal Lavelle, Steve Mac and Ed Sheeran, performed by Ed Sheeran

Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Sharon Horgan and Eva Birthistle in Bad Sisters. Pic: Apple TV+
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Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Sharon Horgan and Eva Birthistle in Bad Sisters. Pic: Apple TV+

BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK
Bad Sisters – composed by PJ Harvey and Tim Phillips

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen – composed by David Schweitzer

The Midwich Cuckoos – composed by Hannah Peel

The Responder – composed by Matthew Herbert

The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe – composed by Harry Escott and Ben Pearson

RISING STAR AWARD
Cat Burns

Ines Dunn

tendai

venbee

Victoria Canal

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Central Cee and Young Chencs

Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine)

George Daniel and Matty Healy (The 1975)

Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon

Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers (Wet Leg)

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Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

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Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.

Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.

The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.

Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.

The announcement comes after Sir Rod Stewart was booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot and Young was confirmed as a headliner earlier this year.

Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.

The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.

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The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.

The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.

Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.

Neil Young performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last May. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
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Neil Young performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last May. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.

The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.

US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.

The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.

She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.

Sabrina Carpenter opened proceedings. Pic: Reuters
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Sabrina Carpenter performing her second song. Pic: Reuters

Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.

But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.

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Highlights from the 2025 BRIT Awards

Ofcom said some of the complaints were also aimed at British pop sensation Charli XCX, who dominated the night by winning five awards, including album of the year.

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Some viewers took issue with her outfit – a black see-through dress.

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”

Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

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Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.

They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.

Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

What will the trial cover?

Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.

It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.

Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.

He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.

“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.

At a premiere in London in 2013. Pic: PA
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At a premiere in London in 2013. Pic: PA

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It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.

“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”

The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.

The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.

His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.

The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY File photo dated 20/07/15 of actor Noel Clarke. Police have confirmed that no criminal investigation will be launched after sexual offence allegations were made against actor Noel Clarke. Issue date: Sunday March 27, 2022.
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In July 2015. Pic: PA

What has happened since the articles were published?

A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.

However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.

His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.

ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.

The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.

Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.

He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.

At the UK premiere of Kidulthood in London's Leicester Square in 2006. Pic: PA
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At the UK premiere of Kidulthood in London’s Leicester Square in 2006. Pic: PA

‘Rising star’

Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.

Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.

He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.

It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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