UPDATE (May 4): The Ivors 2023 will feature live performances by Sting, RAYE and Matilda Mann – the first live performances on the show in years. Sting’s performance coincides with his becoming a Fellow of the Ivors Academy, the highest honor the Academy bestows. Ivors partner Amazon Music will also host the first-ever livestream from the event, featuring live coverage from the red carpet, the performances, and backstage interviews with the winners. Fans can tune into the livestream on the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch from 6:30 a.m. ET on May 18. Exclusive Amazon Original tracks have also been announced from Mann, Henry Moodie and Kurt Vile.
PREVOUSLY (April 18): Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon are each nominated for three 2023 Ivors, as are Cleopatra Nikolic and Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover, making them this year’s most honored songwriters.
The Ivors Academy announced the nominations for The Ivors 2023 with Amazon Music on Tuesday (April 18). The awards recognize outstanding British and Irish songwriters and composers across nine categories.
Styles and Harpoon are nominated for songwriter of the year with Amazon Music. They are also nominated in two categories for co-writing Styles’ global smash “As It Was” with Tyler Johnson – best song musically and lyrically and PRS for music most performed work.
Styles indirectly factors into a fourth nomination this year. He starred in the film Don’t Worry Darling, which netted a nomination for best original film score for composer John Powell.
“Inflo” and Nikolic are competing with “As It Was” for best song musically and lyrically as the co-writers of SAULT’s hit “Stronger.” They are also nominated twice for best album, for their work on Little Simz’s No Thank You alongside Little Simz and SAULT’s 11 alongside Jamar McNaughton and Jack Peñate.
In the PRS for music most performed work category, Ed Sheeran makes history as “Bad Habits” is nominated again after winning the award last year. He is the first artist to achieve this feat in this category. Sheeran’s follow-up hit “Shivers” is also nominated in the category this year.
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” is nominated in that same category 37 years after the track was nominated for best contemporary song. The song experienced a global resurgence after being featured in the hit TV series Stranger Things.
A total of 72 individual songwriters and composers received Ivor Novello nominations this year, with 54% of those being nominated for the first time.
The songwriter of the year with Amazon Music category recognizes British or Irish songwriters or songwriting teams for outstanding bodies of commercially successful songs released in 2022. This year’s nominees are Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine), the only individual songwriter nominated in the category this year; Styles & Harpoon; Rhian Teasdale & Hester Chambers (Wet Leg); George Daniel & Matty Healy (The 1975); and Central Cee & Young Chencs.
Knucks receives two nominations for best contemporary song, for his track “Leon the Professional” with co-writers Venna and Toshifumi Hinata and for his feature on Kojey Radical’s “Payback,” which also credits Swindle.
British duo The Flight (consisting of Joe Henson and Alexis Smith) received two nominations for best original video game score. They are nominated for composing the Batman-inspired Gotham Knights and for co-composing the critically acclaimed Horizon Forbidden West, alongside Joris de Man and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
Since its inception in 2020, the rising star award with Amazon Music has championed Britain and Ireland’s most promising songwriting talents. This year’s nominees are Cat Burns, Ines Dunn, tendai, venbee and Victoria Canal. Previous winners are Mysie, Willow Kayne and Naomi Kimpenu.
Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said in a statement, “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.”
Winners will be revealed at The Ivors with Amazon Music at Grosvenor House in London on Thursday May 18.
As previously announced, Sting will become a Fellow of the Ivors Academy, the highest honor the Academy bestows. Ivor Novello Awards will also be presented for the outstanding song collection, special international award, visionary award with Amazon Music and PRS for music icon award.
Here’s a complete list of The Ivors 2023 nominations:
Songwriter of the year with Amazon Music
- Central Cee and Young Chencs
- Florence Welch
- Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon
- Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers
- George Daniel and Matty Healy
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 feat. Knucks
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 by Katie Gregson-Macleod; 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 by Kate Bush; performed by Kate Bush
- “Shivers”; written by Johnny McDaid, Kal Lavelle, Steve Mac and Ed Sheeran; performed by Ed Sheeran
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 D.C.
- 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 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 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
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
Rising star award with Amazon Music
- Cat Burns
- Ines Dunn
- tendai
- venbee
- Victoria Canal
