Charli XCX, Lola Young, Raye and JADE among artists nominated for Ivor Novello Awards
Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Raye and Ghetts are among the artists nominated for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting, along with a nod for Wham!’s Last Christmas.
Lola Young, whose single Messy was a huge hit in 2024, leads with three nominations, for best album, best song musically and lyrically, and the rising star award.
Other acts in the running for Ivors include Fontaines DC, BERWYN, Myles Smith, Laura Marling, JADE, Bashy, Conor Dickinson and Jordan Rakei.
Nominated composers also include writers for Oscar nominees including The Substance and The Zone Of Interest, hit shows such as Black Doves and Rivals, and games including Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Farewell North.
Wham! pictured in September 1984, three months before Last Christmas was released
And Wham! receive their nomination for Last Christmas as one of PRS for Music’s top five most performed songs of 2024 – a posthumous nod for George Michael, almost 30 years after his last win in 1997, for the single Fastlove. Despite never making it to number one when it was released in 1984, Last Christmas has topped the charts at Christmas for the last two years.
The festive track is up against Harry Styles‘ 2022 hit As It Was, which is in contention for the third year running, Dua Lipa‘s Houdini, Stargazing by Myles Smith, and Prada by Casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe.
The Ivors 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. This year’s ceremony marks the 70th anniversary of the awards, and will take place on 22 May in London.
Charli XCX’s Brat is in the running for best album. Pic: Reuters
Some 74 composers and songwriters have been nominated this year, with two-thirds – including Young – up for awards for the first time.
It has already been announced that U2 will be inducted into the Academy Fellowship “in recognition of their enduring influence and impact on the craft of songwriting”. The bandmates – Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr – will become the first Irish songwriters to be inducted, following in the footsteps of artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Kate Bush and last year’s recipient, Bruce Springsteen.
Artists including Raye, Lana Del Rey, Skepta and KT Tunstall were also among last year’s winners.
Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, described the event as “the most joyful celebration of music making in the calendar”.
Congratulating the 2025 nominees, he added: “It’s a huge privilege for the Ivors Academy to champion music creation in all its forms.”
Here are this year’s nominees.
Dua Lipa’s Houdini is among the song nominees. Pic: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
BEST ALBUM
Brat – Charli XCX, AG Cook and Finn Keane
On Purpose, With Purpose – Ghetts and TenBillion Dreams
The Loop – Jordan Rakei
This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway – William Brown, Conor Dickinson, Jared Solomon and Lola Young
Who Am I – Berwyn
BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
Allergy – Felix Joseph, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu
Angel Of My Dreams – Pablo Bowman, JADE, Steph Jones and Mike Sabath
Circumnavigating Georgia – Sans Soucis
Double Standards – Ghetts, EMIL, Sampha Sisay and R-Kay
How Black Men Lose Their Smile – Bashy, Toddla T and Linton Kwesi Johnson
BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
Child Of Mine – Laura Marling
Genesis – Rodney Jerkins, RAYE and Toneworld
In The Modern World – Grian Chatten, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan, Thomas Coll and Carlos O’Connell (Fontaines DC)
Messy – Conor Dickinson and Lola Young
Mine – Orla Gartland
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
As It Was – Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles
Houdini – Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jnr, Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker
Last Christmas – George Michael
Prada – D-Block Europe, Obi Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Uche Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Jahmori “Jaymo” Simmons and RAYE
Stargazing – Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith
RISING STAR AWARD
Bea And Her Business
Liang Lawrence
Lola Young
LULU.
Nia Smith
BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
Fly Me To The Moon – Daniel Pemberton
Hard Truths – Gary Yershon
Kneecap – Michael “Mickey J” Asante
The Substance – composed by Raffertie
The Zone Of Interest – Mica Levi
BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
Empire Of The Ants – Mathieu Alvado and Mark Choi
Farewell North – John Konsolakis
Flock – Eli Rainsberry
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – David Garcia Diaz
The Casting Of Frank Stone – Boxed Ape
BEST TV SOUNDTRACK
Black Doves – Martin Phipps
Mary & George – Oliver Coates
Rivals – Jack Halama and Natalie Holt
True Detective: Night Country – Vince Pope
Until I Kill You – Carly Paradis
Dean Cain has been branded the “worst superman ever” as he announced he will join the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “ASAP”.
The 59-year-old, who was cast as Superman in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, announced he had joined the team amid the federal agency’s unprecedented immigration raids.
He told Fox News on Wednesday his recruitment video on Instagram had gone viral and since then, “I have spoken with some of the officials over at ICE and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP”.
“You can defend your homeland and get great benefits,” he said in the Instagram post where he appealed for his followers to join ICE.
Speaking with the Superman theme song in the background, he said “hundreds of thousands of criminals” had been arrested since US President Donald Trump took office.
He then told his followers they would get a series of benefits if they joined ICE, including a $50,000 (£37,407) signing bonus and student loan repayment.
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“If you want to help save America ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets,” he said, before adding: “I voted for that.”
ICE agents are under pressure from the White House to boost their deportation numbers in line with Mr Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration.
Cain’s post on Instagram received some backlash, with one user commenting: “Worst superman ever”.
Another said: “Shame on you Dean – that’s the most un-Superman thing you could possibly advocate.”
One fan turned against him and said: “Until I saw this I was such a fan. What a sad human being you must be.”
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Oasis gig at Murrayfield in Edinburgh beats Taylor Swift for most ‘ground-shaking’ concert
Oasis provided the most “ground-shaking” performance at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium when they last performed there in 2009, according to analysis of seismic data.
The Gallagher brothers’ last Scottish gig has topped the chart for the most powerful seismic concert at the venue in the past 20 years, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said.
Oasis’ June 2009 gig beat the Red Hot Chili Peppers in June 2004, Kings of Leon in June 2011 and Taylor Swift in June 2024 – when measuring the peak earthshaking power of each event.
Noel Gallagher. Pic: PA
The measurements were taken from a seismic monitoring station, some 4km from the venue.
At peak power of 215.06kW, the Oasis gig was more than twice as powerful as the next strongest one by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at 106.87kW.
Murrayfield Stadium’s most seismic concerts:
• Oasis: 17 June 2009, 215.06kW
• Red Hot Chili Peppers: 14 June 2004, 106.87kW
• Kings of Leon: 26 June 2011, 96.18kW
• Taylor Swift: 8 June 2024, 82.56kW
• Foo Fighters: 8 September 2015, 78.65kW
• Harry Styles: 26 May 2023, 65.38kW
• Beyonce: 20 May 2023, 29.31kW
• Robbie Williams: 31 May 2025, 14.18kW
• Bon Jovi: 22 June 2011, 13.20kW
• Spice Girls: 8 June 2019, 10.63kW
• One Direction: 3 June 2014, 6.82kW
The rankings were revealed ahead of Oasis’ return to the Scottish capital this weekend as part of their comeback tour.
The power output is not related to the volume of the band or the crowd; rather, it is the movement of fans jumping and dancing in time to the music, with the height of the jumping and weight of the crowd also potential factors.
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BGS seismologist Callum Harrison said: “In 2009, seismic signals generated by Oasis fans were consistent with a crowd energy of 215kW at its peak – enough to power around 30 of the scooters featured on the iconic Be Here Now album cover.
“Our network of sensors around the country is sensitive enough to pick up ground movement from a source miles away that may not be detectable to humans – and precise enough to register exact timestamps for when the events occur.
“The peak energy reading was recorded around 8.30pm on that June evening back in 2009, which correlates to the time the band first took the stage and performed Rock ‘N’ Roll Star, which couldn’t be more fitting in terms of topping our seismic music chart.”
The BGS keeps an archive of continuous ground motion recordings from seismic sensors around the country, dating back several decades.
Mr Harrison said: “Improving our understanding of historical earthquakes is an important part of BGS research in trying to understand and mitigate the seismic risk around the country.”
Oasis will take to Murrayfield’s stage on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday, so there is potential for another “shakermaker”.
Mr Harrison said it is “certainly possible” the band could top their 2009 gig, adding: “We’ll just have to wait and see.
“The main contributing factors are going to be how energetic the crowd is. If they’re jumping along with the music, how high or how fast are they jumping?”
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