Headie One, Dave, MNEK Among Nominees For 2021 Ivor Novello Awards
Written by SOURCE on August 11, 2021
The nominees for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards are in.
Currently sponsored by Apple Music, The Ivors have been running annually in varying capacities since 1956 and aims to award UK songwriting and composing talent.
Notable past winners include Soul II Soul frontman Jazzie B for the 2008 Inspiration Award, Lily Allen’s 2010 Songwriter Of The Year statuette and Dave’s 2020 win for Best Contemporary Song with “Black”.
Harry Styles, Celeste and Pa Salieu lead the awards. Styles bagged three nominations, with Salieu and Celeste each receiving two nominations each. Out of the noms, surprising yet welcome head-turners included newcomer Kamal. for the Rising Star Award with Apple Music, fresh off his masterful EP, War Outside.
Also, Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter Arlo Parks and decorated drill star Headie One are both nominated in the Best Song Musically And Lyrically category. Arlo was selected for her personal, soul/folk fusion “Black Dog”. Headie and producer Fred again.. were handpicked for their track “Gang” from their critically adored 2020 collab album of the same name.
Celeste and Jamie Hartman, Kamille, AJ Tracey and MNEK were nominated for the songwriter of the year category. The latter of the two artists are welcome additions to the nominations as it sees their prolific output over the past few years fully appreciated.
For Best Contemporary Song, it notably saw Pa Salieu selected for his Mahalia collaboration “Energy” from his 2020 debut project, Send Them to Coventry, which topped many year-end best album lists. Also, Future Utopia, Dave and Es Devlin’s conscious number “Children of the Internet” received its flowers in this category too.
Finally, for best album, notable nominees included Lianne La Havas’s self-titled soul-entrenched effort from last year, Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ dreamy R&B and jazz-focused collab LP, What Kinda Music and Pa Saeliu’s elite scorcher of a project, Send Them to Coventry.
Stay tuned for The Ivors for their 66th Award ceremony due to take place on Tuesday 21 September.
Check out the full 2021 Ivor Novello shortlist here:
Songwriter of the Year:
AJ Tracey
Celeste and Jamie Hartman
Kamille
Kid Harpoon
Harry Styles
MNEK
Best Album:
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
Lianne La Havas’ self-titled LP
Pa Salieu – Send Them to Coventry
Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music
Best Contemporary Song:
Dave & Fraser T Smith – “Children of the Internet”
Ashnikko – “Daisy”
Pa Salieu – “Energy”
Rachel Chinouriri – “Give Me a Reason”
For Those I Love – “Top Scheme”
Best Song Musically and Lyrically:
Arlo Parks – “Black Dog”
Headie One & Fred again.. – “Gang”
Obongjayar – “God’s Own Children”
Marina – “Man’s World”
Celeste – “Stop This Flame”
PRS for Music Most Performed Work:
Harry Styles – “Adore You” & “Watermelon Sugar”
Lewis Capaldi – “Before You Go” & “Someone You Loved”
Joel Corry & MNEK – “Head & Heart”
Best Original Film Score:
Calm With Horses – Blanck Mass
Four Kids And It – Anne Nikitin
Saint Maud – Adam Janota Bzowski
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 – Daniel Pemberton
Two By Two: Overboard! – Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eimear Noone
Best Original Video Game Score:
Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi – Ghost of Tsushima
Jessica Curry and Jim Fowler – Little Orpheus
Gareth Coker – Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Best Television Soundtrack:
Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar – A Suitable Boy
Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and the Insects – Devs
David Arnold and Michael Price – Dracula
Matthew Herbert – Noughts + Crosses
Oli Julian – Us
Rising Star Award with Apple Music:
Allegra
Holly Humberstone
Rachel Chinouriri
Willow Kayne
Kamal.
