Ivors 2026: See the nominations in full as Lily Allen, CMAT and Olivia Dean up for top prizes

Prestigious songwriting prize vows to continue recognising human creativity amid music industry concern about the use of AI
Lily Allen , Olivia Dean and CMAT are among the artists nominated for songwriting awards at the 2026 Ivors.

Organisers have said they are intent on recognising human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters at a time when “questions around authorship and AI are reshaping the music landscape”.

More than half of the 61 shortlisted songwriters and composers this year are first-time nominees, while others are more familiar faces at the ceremony.

Lily Allen is nominated in the Best Album category for West End Girl, her first album in seven years and one that became part of the cultural zeitgeist upon its release in October 2025.

The pop star received rave reviews for her brutally honest depiction of marriage, infidelity and heartbreak, while also 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, including Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell – who is also up for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for the rock band’s single “The Sofa” – for The Clearing, Olivia Dean 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 five nominated albums.

Elsewhere, Lola Young is nominated for PRS for Most Performed Work for the second time thanks to her viral single “Messy”, while 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 also 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.

The Ivors 2026 nominations are as follows:
Written by Jim Legxacy and Joe Stanley
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK
Written by Olivia Dean, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing obo Goldfish Records and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Alveron Music
Written by Joff Oddie and Ellie Rowsell
Written by Lily Allen, Chloe Angelides, Kito and Blue May
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing obo Chloe Angelides Publishing-Where Da Kasz At and BMG Rights Management UK
Written by Damon Albarn, Yasiin Bey and Omar Souleyman
Performed by Gorillaz feat.

Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey
Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Pop-Up Music Publishing and Domino Publishing Company
Written by Alex Bonfanti, Miles Clinton James and Little Simz
Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing
Written by Johan Hugo and Self Esteem
Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Reservoir Media Management obo Blue Raincoat Music Publishing
Written by Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest
Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Domino Publishing Company
Written by Tom Rowlands, Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest
Written and performed by Jacob Alon
Music published in the UK by Concord Music Publishing
Written by Mark Bowen, Mitski and Florence Welch
Performed by Florence + The Machine
Music published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music obo Songs by Mitski Publishing and Universal Music Publishing obo Florence + The Machine Ltd
Written by Johan Hugo, Self Esteem and Jacob Vetter
Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music, Reservoir Media Management obo Blue Raincoat Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing obo TruSauce Pub Co
Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Written by Tove Burman, Anya Jones and Jon Shave
Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music obo MXM Music and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Spirit Music Group
PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
Written and performed by Lola Young
Written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith
Written and performed by Chrystal
Written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin
Music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing
RISING STAR AWARD WITH AMAZON MUSIC
Divorce (Tiger Cohen-Towell, Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, Adam Peter-Smith and Kasper Sandstrøm)
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, said: “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.”
This year’s Ivors ceremony with Amazon Music is taking place on Thursday 21 May at Grosvenor House in London.

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