The prestigious Ivor Novello Awards have unveiled their nominations for the 2026 ceremony, with Lily Allen, Olivia Dean, and CMAT leading the charge for top songwriting honours. Organisers have pledged to continue recognising human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters at a time when questions around authorship and artificial intelligence are reshaping the music landscape.
First-Time Nominees and Familiar Faces
More than half of the 61 shortlisted songwriters and composers this year are first-time nominees, while others are well-established figures in the industry. The awards ceremony, set for 21 May at Grosvenor House in London, promises to celebrate exceptional craft and originality.
Best Album Category Dominated by Female Artists
Lily Allen is nominated in the Best Album category for West End Girl, her first album in seven years. Released in October 2025, the record became part of the cultural zeitgeist, praised for its brutally honest depiction of marriage, infidelity, and heartbreak, and achieving a number two spot on the UK albums chart.
Four of the five albums nominated in the Best Album category are fronted by women. This includes Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell for The Clearing, who is also up for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for the rock band’s single “The Sofa”. Olivia Dean is nominated for her third record, The Art of Loving, and Irish pop star CMAT for EURO COUNTRY. Jim Legxacy’s critically adored BLACK BRITISH MUSIC completes the list of nominated albums.
Other Notable Nominations
Lola Young is nominated for PRS for Most Performed Work for the second time thanks to her viral single “Messy”. Florence and the Machine frontwoman Florence Welch is up for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for “Everybody Scream”, with co-writers Mitski and Mark Bowen.
Rising Scottish artist Jacob Alon, who won the Brits Critics’ Choice award in January, is nominated in the Best Song category for “Don’t Fall Asleep”, as well as being shortlisted for the Rising Star prize. Brit Award-winning rapper Little Simz is up for an Ivor Novello for her track “Free”, in the Best Contemporary Song category.
Full List of Ivors 2026 Nominations
BEST ALBUM
- BLACK BRITISH MUSIC (2025) – Written by Jim Legxacy and Joe Stanley, performed by Jim Legxacy, published by Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing.
- EURO COUNTRY – Written and performed by CMAT, published by BMG Rights Management UK.
- THE ART OF LOVING – Written by Olivia Dean, Bastian Langebaek, and Max Wolfgang, performed by Olivia Dean, published by Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, and Kobalt Music Publishing.
- THE CLEARING – Written by Joff Oddie and Ellie Rowsell, performed by Wolf Alice, published by Sony Music Publishing.
- WEST END GIRL – Written by Lily Allen, Chloe Angelides, Kito, and Blue May, performed by Lily Allen, published by Sony Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing, and BMG Rights Management UK.
BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
- “Damascus” – Written by Damon Albarn, Yasiin Bey, and Omar Souleyman, performed by Gorillaz feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey.
- “Free” – Written by Alex Bonfanti, Miles Clinton James, and Little Simz, performed by Little Simz.
- “I Do and I Don’t Care” – Written by Johan Hugo and Self Esteem, performed by Self Esteem.
- “I Stand on the Line” – Written by Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest, performed by Kae Tempest.
- “KNOW YOURSELF” – Written by Tom Rowlands, Fraser T Smith, and Kae Tempest, performed by Kae Tempest.
BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
- “Don’t Fall Asleep” – Written and performed by Jacob Alon.
- “Everybody Scream” – Written by Mark Bowen, Mitski, and Florence Welch, performed by Florence + The Machine.
- “Focus is Power” – Written by Johan Hugo, Self Esteem, and Jacob Vetter, performed by Self Esteem.
- “The Sofa” – Written by Ellie Rowsell, performed by Wolf Alice.
- “Weeds” – Written by Tove Burman, Anya Jones, and Jon Shave, performed by Sugababes.
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
- “Man I Need” – Written by Olivia Dean, Tobias Jesso Jr., and Zach Nahome, performed by Olivia Dean.
- “Messy” – Written and performed by Lola Young.
- “Stargazing” – Written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink, and Myles Smith, performed by Myles Smith.
- “The Days” – Written and performed by Chrystal.
- “Viva La Vida” – Written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin, performed by Coldplay.
RISING STAR AWARD WITH AMAZON MUSIC
- Chloe Qisha
- Divorce (Tiger Cohen-Towell, Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, Adam Peter-Smith, and Kasper Sandstrøm)
- Jacob Alon
- Kwn
Organisers’ Statements
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “Congratulations to all the songwriters and composers nominated for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards. To be recognised by your peers for exceptional craft and originality at The Ivors is one of the greatest honours in music writing, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at The Ivors with Amazon Music on 21 May.”
Roberto Neri, Chief Executive of The Ivors Academy, added: “I want to congratulate these incredible nominees, whose work reflects the strength, diversity and global influence of British and Irish songwriting, which we are honoured to celebrate. An Ivor Novello Award has for over 70 years been the most prestigious recognition of excellence in music and I'd like to thank our judges for working hard to recognise this year’s nominees.”
The Ivors 2026 ceremony, in partnership with Amazon Music, will take place on Thursday 21 May at Grosvenor House in London, highlighting the enduring importance of human creativity in an evolving musical era.
