The Ivors Academy have announced the list of nominees for the 2019 Ivor Novello Awards, and there’s a few Gigwise faves in the running.
In all 64 years of their existence, have rewarded and recognised excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composing, including scores for albums, films, TV and video games. The awards this year showcase the work of 48 individual songwriters and composers, with 70% of those listed being nominated for the first time.
The Ivors Academy Chair, Crispin Hunt comments: “The works nominated for The Ivors 2019 are brilliantly diverse, and we’re delighted to see so many first-time nominees recognised. As the only peer-nominated music award in the country, they are a fantastic reflection of the exciting emerging talent of British & Irish music creators today.”
Nominated for Best Album are IDLES. The band have had one hell of a year. Their latest release was met with huge critical acclaim, as have their live sets which are now the stuff of legend. Gigwise reviewed the colossal album back in August, and we said: “IDLES have so much love to give that it’s coming out in a bone-crushing hug of noise. Frontman Joe Talbot’s agonies, vulnerabilities, scars, fuck-ups and political angers sit atop swelling guitar sound and powerful drums, his lyrics leading Joy as an Act of Resistance along to become the most infectious, vulnerable and cathartic album of the year.”
Also in the running for Best Album is Young Fathers. The Edinburgh trio have been progressively honing their craft, garnering more and more respect and support with each release. “Some artists appear almost out of nowhere, burn brightly, capture the zeitgeist and then disappear… Others tirelessly search for new inspiration, make mistakes, reinvent their art, build up a body of work and reveal themselves to an audience over time. Young Fathers are one of those bands – they’re in it for the long haul.” We caught up with Young Fathers before the release of this album, read the full interview here.
Nominated for Best Song Musically And Lyrically are Arctic Monkeys. It’s been well documented that Tranquility Base was controversial for the band; it was definitely a far cry from their old work, which arguably lost them fans more than it gained them, however there are some hidden gems within this ‘concept’ album. Here’s what we said about the track: “Tranquility Base is a joyous bit of escapism. Take stand-out track ‘Four Out Of Five’…where a little of that spiky old Arctic Monkeys insolence reasserts itself”.
And getting a nod in the Best Contemporary Song category is The 1975. “Modernity has failed us, but The 1975 haven’t.” Speaking about the socially conscious track, which was the second single from their album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, we wrote: “If the opening lyric “we’re fucking in a car, shooting heroin, saying controversial things just for the hell of it,” doesn’t make you sit up and listen from the get go, the the sheer sonic powerhouse that this song transforms into sure will. Glitchy games console-like sound bites appear subtly, engulfed by effervescent synths, and there’s an added decadence with the inclusion of the London Community Gospel Choir on backing vocals when it gets to the chorus. "
Full list of nominees are:
BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
Four Out Of Five
Written by Alex Turner
Performed by Arctic Monkeys
Published in the UK by EMI Music Publishing
Nica Libres at Dusk
Written and performed by Ben Howard
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Limited
Nina Cried Power
Written and performed by Hozier
Published in the UK by Sony/ATV Music Publishing – The Evolving Music Company
BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
Black Rose
Written by Ghetts, Kojey Radical, Daniel Miles, JoJo Mukeza and Jaime Naldo Menezes
Performed by Ghetts ft Kojey Radical
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management and EMI Music Publishing – Stellar Songs
Blue Lights
Written by Guy Bonnet, Dizzee Rascal, Roland Romanelli and Jorja Smith
Performed by Jorja Smith
Published in the UK by EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Love It If We Made It
Written by George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald
Performed by The 1975
Published in the UK by Good Solider Songs
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
Breathe
Written by Jax Jones and Ina Wroldsen
Performed by Jax Jones ft Ina Wroldsen
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing and Reservoir Reverb Music
Shotgun
Written by George Ezra Barnett, FRED and Joel Pott
Performed by George Ezra
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management and Sony ATV/Music Publishing – Promised Land Music
These Days
Written by Julian Bunetta, Dan Caplen, Macklemore, John Ryan and Jamie Scott
Performed by Rudimental ft Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen
Published in the UK by Big Deal Music – Peermusic UK, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing
BEST ALBUM
Cocoa Sugar
Written by Kayus Bankole, Graham Hastings and Alloysious Massaquoi
Performed by Young Fathers
Published in the UK by Just Isn't Music Limited
I'm All Ears
Written by Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton
Performed by Let's Eat Grandma
Published in the UK by Blue Raincoat Songs
Joy As An Act of Resistance
Written by Jonathan Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan and Joseph Talbot
Performed by Idles
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing
BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
American Animals
Composed by Anne Nikitin
Published in the UK by Accorder Music - Peermusic UK
Phantom Thread
Composed by Jonny Greenwood
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell North America Limited
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Composed by Daniel Pemberton
Published in the UK by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK
Flowers (Series 2)
Composed by Arthur Sharpe
Published in the UK by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead
Composed by Clint Mansell
Published in the UK by Decca Publishing – Universal Music Publishing
Requiem
Composed by Natasha Khan and Dominik Scherrer
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management, Du Vinage Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing
BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Composed by Michael Georgiades, Joe Henson and Alexis Smith
Q.U.B.E. 2
Composed by David Housden
Sea of Thieves
Composed by Robin Beanland
The Ivor Novello Awards take place on 23 May 2019 at Grosvenor House in London.
