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 Ivorsinclude 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.
Image: 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, RAYEand 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.
Image: 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.
Image: 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
TV presenter Holly Willoughby has been fined in court after she admitted driving without due care and attention when her car collided with a moped, injuring the rider.
The star, 44, pleaded guilty by post to the charge at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but did not attend the hearing.
Willoughby was fined £1,653 alongside £130 in costs and a £661 victim surcharge and given six points on her licence, the Metropolitan Police said.
According to court documents, the incident happened on 28 August as she was driving her Mini Cooper near her home in Richmond, southwest London.
Police were called to Church Road, Barnes, following reports of a collision.
The rider of the moped, a 43-year-old man, was taken to hospital. His injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.
Sabrina Carpenter has hit out at an “evil and disgusting” White House video of migrants being detained that uses one of her songs.
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the pop star posted on X.
The White House used part of Carpenter‘s upbeat song Juno over pictures of immigration agents handcuffing, chasing and detaining people.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.
It was posted on social media on Monday and has been viewed 1.2 million times so far.
President Trump‘s policy of sending officers into communities to forcibly round up illegal immigrants has proved controversial, with protests and legal challenges ongoing.
Mr Trump promised the biggest deportation in US history, but some of those detained have been living and working in the US for decades and have no criminal record.
Carpenter is not the only star to express disgust over the administration’s use of their music.
More on Sabrina Carpenter
Related Topics:
Olivia Rodrigo last month warned the White House not to “ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda” after All-American Bitch was used in a video urging undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily.
In July, English singer Jess Glynne also said she felt “sick” when her song from the viral Jet2 advert was used over footage of people in handcuffs being loaded on a plane.
Other artists have also previously hit out at Trump officials for using their music at political campaign events, including Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Ozzy Osbourne and The Rolling Stones.
Dame Joanna Lumley has warned of a “crisis hidden in plain sight”, with 1.5 million older people set to spend Christmas alone.
Age UK spoke to more than 2,600 people and found 11% will eat dinner alone on 25 December, while 5% will not see or speak to anyone the whole day.
Applied to the overall population, the findings suggest 1.5 million people will eat alone at Christmas, according to the charity.
Dame Joanna said the “silence can be deafening” for those left isolated and called it “a crisis hidden in plain sight”.
The actor and campaigner is now joining other luminaries including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Miriam Margolyes to back Age UK’s campaign against loneliness.
The charity says its volunteers made more than 70,000 minutes’ worth of calls to people during Christmas week last year and is urging people to donate.
‘A tragedy we don’t talk about enough’
Age UK said it also supports coffee mornings and festive lunches to give lonely people the chance to enjoy in-person interaction.
Dame Judi said: “For so many older people, Christmas can be a time of silence – days without conversation or company.”
Succession star Brian Cox called the issue “a tragedy we don’t talk about enough”.
He said: “Far too many older people are left spending the season in silence, when it should be a time of warmth, connection and joy.”
Image: Brian Cox is another of the campaign’s high-profile backers. Pic: PA
Margolyes, of Harry Potter fame, added: “Growing older shouldn’t mean disappearing into the background, we need to be seen, heard and celebrated.
“That’s what Age UK is striving for – they’re changing how we perceive age.”
The charity’s chief executive, Paul Farmer, said: “Your donation could bring comfort, friendship, and care to an older person facing loneliness this winter.
“From friendly, weekly calls to local lunch clubs, we’re here to make sure no one spends winter alone. But we can’t do it without you.”