Harry Styles, Kate Bush, Raye and Arctic Monkeys among songwriters nominated for Ivor Novello Awards

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.

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.

Read more:
Raye on the fight to release her album
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.”

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

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

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

BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
As It Was – written 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

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)