The Ivors Academy has revealed the nominations for The Ivors 2025 with Amazon Music, which recognise and celebrate exceptional achievements in songwriting and screen composing.
This year marks the 70th year of the awards, with the winners set to be revealed at the ceremony at Grosvenor House, London, on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “Everyone knows The Ivors are the most joyful celebration of music making in the calendar. Many of the most talented and creative people on the planet get together to celebrate each other’s exceptional originality and craft. Congratulations to all of the remarkable nominees this year. It’s a huge privilege for The Ivors Academy to champion music creation in all its forms.”
Roberto Neri, chief executive of The Ivors Academy, said: “An Ivor Novello Award holds a unique place in music, as it is judged by fellow songwriters and composers, making it the most respected acknowledgement of creative excellence. We are proud to welcome and celebrate the nominees’ achievements and look forward to honouring their work at the 70th edition of The Ivors in May.”
This year, 74 individual British, Irish or UK resident composers and songwriters, and their international collaborators, have received Ivor Novello nominations, with 66% for the first time.
Lola Young has received the most nominations with three, in her first year of recognition by The Ivors Academy, while Raye – winner of last year’s Songwriter Of The Year – Ghetts and Lola Young collaborator Conor Dickinson all receive two.
The Ivor Novello Award for Best Album includes nods for Charli XCX’s Brat, Berwyn’s Who Am I, Ghetts’ On Purpose, With Purpose, Jordan Rakei’s The Loop and Lola Young’s This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway.
Celebrating outstanding originality in songwriting, Best Contemporary Song sees a second nomination for Ghetts for Double Standards (feat. Sampha), while Jade received her first nomination as a solo artist with debut single Angel Of My Dreams.
They are up against Sans Soucis’ Circumnavigating Georgia, Bashy’s How Black Men Lose Their Smile and Pa Salieu’s Allergy, four years on from his last nomination in the same category.
Best Song Musically And Lyrically acknowledges outstanding song craft. Child of Mine by Laura Marling is recognised, as is Raye’s 2024 single Genesis, Fontaines DC’s In the Modern World and Lola Young’s UK chart-topping hit Messy, while Orla Gartland receives her first Ivor Novello nomination with Mine.
In the PRS For Music Most Performed Work category, the 2022 hit As It Was by Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson is in contention for a third year running, demonstrating the longevity of this release.
Last Christmas by Wham! gives George Michael a posthumous Ivor Novello Award nomination, 21 years since he was nominated in this category for Amazing. Also in the running are Houdini by Dua Lipa, Stargazing by Myles Smith, and Prada by Cassö, Raye and D-Block Europe.
The Rising Star Award with Amazon Music celebrates British, Irish or UK resident songwriters aged 18-24. Each nominee receives year-long, tailored support for their creativity and career from Amazon Music and The Ivors Academy. 2023’s Rising Star winner Victoria Canal went on to win the Ivor Novello for Best Song Musically and Lyrically last year.
The 2025 nominations celebrate five female rising stars: Bea And Her Business, Liang Lawrence, LULU, Nia Smith and Lola Young – her third nomination this year.
There are also categories for Best Original Film Score, Best Television Soundtrack and Best Original Video Game Score (see below).
As previously announced, U2 are the latest songwriters set to become Academy Fellows, in recognition of their enduring influence and impact on the craft of songwriting. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr will become the first Irish songwriters that the Academy has inducted into Fellowship in its 81-year history.
Ivor Novello Awards will also be presented for the Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music, Outstanding Song Collection, Visionary Award with Amazon Music, Special International Award, and PRS for Music Icon Award.
Music Week subscribers can read the interview with Roberto Neri from the new edition of the magazine.
The Ivors 2025 nominations:
BEST ALBUM
BRAT written by Charli xcx, A. G. Cook and Finn Keane
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Concord Music Publishing on behalf of Alias Guild and Universal Music Publishing
Performed by Charli xcx
ON PURPOSE, WITH PURPOSE written by Ghetts and TenBillion Dreams
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK
Performed by Ghetts
THE LOOP written and performed by Jordan Rakei
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
THIS WASN’T MEANT FOR YOU ANYWAY written by William Brown, Conor Dickinson, Jared Solomon and Lola Young
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing on behalf of Day One Songs, Sony Music Publishing - Solomon Gouda and Sony Music Publishing
Performed by Lola Young
WHO AM I written and performed by BERWYN
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
ALLERGY written by Felix Joseph, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
Performed by Pa Salieu
ANGEL OF MY DREAMS written by Pablo Bowman, JADE, Steph Jones and Mike Sabath
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing on behalf of Hipgnosis Hits-Steph Jones Who Music-Vistaville Music
Performed by Jade
CIRCUMNAVIGATING GEORGIA written and performed by Sans Soucis
Published in the UK by Sentric Music
DOUBLE STANDARDS written by Ghetts, EMIL, Sampha Sisay and R-Kay
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK, Ditto Plus Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing - Young Songs
Performed by Ghetts feat. Sampha
HOW BLACK MEN LOSE THEIR SMILE written by Bashy, Toddla T and Linton Kwesi Johnson
Published in the UK by Downtown Music on behalf of DLJ Songs, BMG Rights Worldwide UK and Universal Music Publishing on behalf of L-K-J Music Publishers
Performed by Bashy
BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
CHILD OF MINE written and performed by Laura Marling
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing
GENESIS. written by Rodney Jerkins, Raye and Toneworld
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and Kobalt Music Publishing on behalf of Mohemmusic-Songs by Seventy 7 Music
Performed by Raye
IN THE MODERN WORLD written by Grian Chatten, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan, Thomas Coll and Carlos O’connell
Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company
Performed by Fontaines DC
MESSY written by Conor Dickinson and Lola Young
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing on behalf of Day One Songs and Sony Music Publishing
Performed by Lola Young
MINE written and performed by Orla Gartland
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing on behalf of San Remo Music
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
AS IT WAS written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Concord Music Publishing on behalf of These Are Pulse Songs
Performed by Harry Styles
HOUDINI written by Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jnr, Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing on behalf of Viking Jamz Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music on behalf of Radical 22 Publishing
Performed by Dua Lipa
LAST CHRISTMAS written by George Michael
Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music on behalf of Wham! Music Limited
Performed by Wham!
PRADA written by D-Block Europe, Obi Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Uche Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Jahmori "Jaymo" Simmons and Raye
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Bucks Music Group Ltd on behalf of Armada Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing on behalf of Fat Pigeon (Publishing) Limited and Warner Chappell Music
Performed by Cassö, Raye and D-Block Europe
STARGAZING written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing on behalf of Songs by 308 Publishing-Where Da Kasz At, Lyric Global Copyright Services Crescendo on behalf of Arcade Artists Publishing-Jesse Fink Publishing-Spirit One Music Crescendo and Sony Music Publishing
Performed by Myles Smith
RISING STAR AWARD WITH AMAZON MUSIC
Bea and her Business
Liang Lawrence
Lola Young
LULU
Nia Smith
BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
FLY ME TO THE MOON composed by Daniel Pemberton
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing on behalf of Apple
HARD TRUTHS composed by Gary Yershon
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing on behalf of Thin Man Films
KNEECAP composed by Michael ‘Mickey J’ Asante
THE SUBSTANCE composed by Raffertie
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing on behalf of Universal Pictures Music
THE ZONE OF INTEREST composed by Mica Levi
Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company
BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS composed by Mathieu Alvado and Mark Choi
FAREWELL NORTH composed by John Konsolakis
FLOCK composed by Eli Rainsberry
SENUA’S SAGA: HELLBLADE II composed by David Garcia Diaz
THE CASTING OF FRANK STONE composed by Boxed Ape
BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK
BLACK DOVES composed by Martin Phipps
Publishing in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK on behalf of Maisie Anthems
MARY & GEORGE composed by Oliver Coates Published in the UK by SATV Publishing
RIVALS composed by Jack Halama and Natalie Holt
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing on behalf of Walt Disney Music Company
TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY composed by Vince Pope
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing on behalf of T-L Music Publishing
UNTIL I KILL YOU composed by Carly Paradis
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK on behalf of Veti Music Publishing
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