Raye, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, Bernie Taupin, KT Tunstall and more were honored at the 2024 Ivor Novello Awards, which were held at Grosvenor House in London on Thursday (May 23). The Ivors with Amazon Music, as the awards are officially branded, went to 26 songwriters and composers across 14 categories.
This year’s Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music went to Raye. The win caps a busy 12 months since the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues. On March 2, Raye became the first artist to win six awards in a single night at the Brit Awards. Her haul included British album of the year, British artist of the year and best new artist. Before her breakthrough as an artist, Raye wrote for artists including Charli XCX, Little Mix, Beyoncé, John Legend, Ellie Goulding and Zara Larsson.
Springsteen was in attendance to receive Fellowship of The Ivors Academy, the highest honor the organization bestows. Springsteen is the first international songwriter that the Academy has inducted into Fellowship. Springsteen, who has won an Oscar and seven Grammys for his songwriting (out of 20 Grammys total), was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999.
This year’s Special International Award celebrated Del Rey’s career and influence. Del Rey has received three Grammy nominations for her songwriting, including song of the year nods for “Norman F–king Rockwell” and “A&W.” She also received a Grammy nod for best song written for visual media for “Young and Beautiful” (from Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby).
Del Rey will soon receive another award. On Thursday (May 23), the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) announced that she will receive this year’s NMPA Songwriter Icon award. The award will be presented at the organization’s annual meeting at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 12.
Taupin was recognized with the Ivor Novello for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. It is the ninth Ivor Novello awarded to Taupin, 50 years on from his first win for “Daniel” with Sir Elton John in 1974. Though best known for his legendary songwriting partnership with John, Taupin has also written for artists as diverse as Starship, Heart, Willie Nelson, Courtney Love and Brian Wilson.
Taupin and John were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the Johnny Mercer Award, that organization’s highest honor, in 2013. The pair won an Oscar for best original song for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, but Taupin has been under-recognized at the Grammys – just two nominations – best original score written for a motion picture or a TV special for Friends (a 1971 movie, not the iconic TV series of the same name) and best country song for “Mendocino County Line,” which was recorded by Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack.
Tunstall received the Outstanding Song Collection with PRS for Music award, recognizing her creative trail across a 20-year career. It comes 18 years after she claimed her first Ivor Novello Award for “Suddenly I Seem,” which won Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2006.
Jerskin Fendrix’s debut film score for Poor Things took home Best Original Film Score. Poor Things was nominated for an Oscar for best original score but lost to Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer.
Best Album was awarded to Black Classical Music, written by Yussef Dayes, Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey. The album is seen as a significant advance for the burgeoning London jazz scene. Judges praised Black Classical Music for using a modern lens to reframe the format of instrumental music.
Best Contemporary Song was claimed by Kwake Bass, Peter Bennie, Biscuit and Raven Bush of Speakers Corner Quartet alongside Kae Tempest for “Geronimo Blues.” This is the first Ivor Novello Award that these songwriters have received.
Having won the 2023 Rising Star Award, Victoria Canal won Best Song Musically and Lyrically with “Black Swan,” alongside Jonny Lattimer and Eg White. Canal performed the song live at the awards ceremony.
Dave, Central Cee, Jo Caleb and Jonny Leslie won PRS for Music Most Performed Work for their collaboration on “Sprinter,” the U.K.’s biggest song of 2023. Dave and Central Cee have previously been nominated for Songwriter of the Year, with Dave claiming the award in 2022.
Grime star Skepta was recognized with the Visionary Award with Amazon Music.
Now in its fifth year, the Rising Star Award with Amazon Music champions Britain and Ireland’s most promising songwriting talents. Claiming the prize this year is Master Peace, whose songwriting was praised for its intelligent blend of genres.
Arthur Sharpe won Best Television Soundtrack with his original composition for The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies. This is the second time the British composer has won the award. He also claimed it in 2022 with his score for Landscapers.
The award for Best Original Video Game Score went to Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. It was praised for staying true to John Williams’ original music while moving into its own authentic world.
“On behalf of The Ivors Academy and all the songwriters and composers we represent, it’s an honor to recognize extraordinary work and brilliant individuals behind it,” Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said in a statement.
In celebration of The Ivors 2024, Amazon Music have released three new Amazon Music Original tracks. American singer-songwriter METTE has covered “Bennie and the Jets” by John and Taupin. The War on Drugs have paid tribute to Springsteen with covers of his “Dry Lightning” and “Highway 29.”
The Ivor Novello Awards, now in their 69th year, are judged by songwriters and composers from The Ivors Academy.
Here’s a complete list of the nominations for The Ivors 2024, with winners marked, followed by a list of non-competitive awards.
Best album
WINNER: Black Classical Music; written by Yussef Dayes, Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey; performed by Yussef Dayes; music published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Sentric Music
Crazymad, for Me; written and performed by CMAT; music published in the UK by BMG
False Lankum; written by Daragh Lynch, Ian Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat; performed by Lankum; music published in the UK by Beggars Music
Lahai; written and performed by Sampha; music published in the UK by Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing
My 21st Century Blues; written by Raye and Mike Sabath; performed by Raye; music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Sony Music Publishing
Best contemporary song
“Back on 74”; written by Lydia Kitto, J Lloyd and Tom McFarland; performed by Jungle; music published in the UK by Handsome Dad Publishing-Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing
“Enough”; written by Brian Eno, Fred Gibson, Buddy Ross and Winnie Raeder; performed by Fred again.. & Brian Eno; music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Promised Land Music-Sony Music Publishing, Heavy Duty-Kobalt Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Ltd
WINNER: “Geronimo Blues”; written by Kwake Bass, Peter Bennie, Biscuit, Raven Bush and Kae Tempest; performed by Speakers Corner Quartet feat. Kae Tempest; music published in the UK by Warp Publishing and Domino Publishing Company
“Mama’s Eyes”; written by Todd Dulaney, Ines Dunn, Barney Lister and METTE; performed by METTE; music published in the UK by MNRK Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Promised Land Music-Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Ltd
“Water”; written by Imani ‘Mocha’ Lewis, Corey Lindsay-Keay, Jackson Lomastro, Ari PenSmith, Rayo, Sammy Soso and Olmo Zucca; performed by Tyla; music published in the UK by Always Forward Thinking-Kobalt Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd, Concord Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
Best song musically and lyrically
“Black Friday”; written by Laurie Blundell, Max Clilverd and Tom Odell; performed by Tom Odell; music published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing-UROK Music Publishing
WINNER: “Black Swan”; written by Victoria Canal, Jonny Lattimer and Eg White; performed by Victoria Canal; music published in the UK by Second Songs-Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Universal Music Publishing
“Spirit 2.0”; written by Yussef Dayes and Sampha; performed by Sampha; music published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Young Songs-Sony Music Publishing
“Sunshine Baby”; written by Amber Bain; performed by The Japanese House; music published in the UK by Dirty Hit Songs-Kobalt Music Publishing
“The Narcissist”; written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree; performed by Blur; music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and BMG
PRS for Music Most Performed Work
“As It Was”; written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles; performed by Harry Styles; music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Pulse Songs-Concord Music Publishing
“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”; written by Ice Spice, Mura Masa and PinkPantheress; performed by PinkPantheress & Ice Spice; music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, BMG and Sony Music Publishing
“Giving Me”; written by Conor Bissett, Robert Griffiths and Jazzy; performed by Jazzy; music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
WINNER: “Sprinter”; written by Central Cee, Dave, Jo Caleb and Jonny Leslie; performed by Dave & Central Cee; music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Ltd and Kobalt Music Publishing
“Strangers”; written and performed by Kenya Grace; music published by Warner Chappell Music Ltd
Rising Star Award With Amazon Music
Blair Davie
Chrissi
Elmiene
WINNER: Master Peace
Nino SLG
Best original film score
WINNER: Poor Things; composed by Jerskin Fendrix; music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; composed by Daniel Pemberton; music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Typist Artist Pirate King; composed by Carly Paradis
Best original video game score
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III; composed by Walter Mair
WINNER: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; composed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab; music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing
Tin Hearts; composed by Matthew Chastney; music published in the UK by Sentric Music
Best television soundtrack
Boat Story; composed by Dominik Scherrer; music published in the UK by Du Vinage Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
Slow Horses Season 3; composed by Daniel Pemberton and Toydrum; music published in the UK by Apple-Sony Music Publishing
The Crown The Final Season; composed by Martin Phipps; music published in the UK by Du Vinage Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
WINNER: The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies; composed by Arthur Sharpe; music published in the UK by BDi Music obo Sister Pictures and Rights Worldwide
Three Little Birds; composed by Benjamin Kwasi Burrell
Academy Fellowship
Bruce Springsteen
Songwriter of the Year With Amazon Music
Raye
Special International Award
Lana Del Rey
Visionary Award With Amazon Music
Skepta
Outstanding Contribution to British Music
Bernie Taupin
Outstanding Song Collection With PRS For Music
KT Tunstall
