Ivor Novello Awards 2026: Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, and Kae Tempest Lead Nominations
The 2026 Ivor Novello Awards nominations have been announced, recognizing excellence in British and Irish songwriting and screen composing. Olivia Dean, Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice, Jacob Alon, Self Esteem, and Kae Tempest lead the pack with two nominations each, signaling a diverse range of talent across genres.
Gender Disparity in Music Industry Recognition
Despite the success of nominated female artists, the nominations reflect a continuing gender disparity within the British and Irish music industries. Research from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California revealed a stark decrease in female songwriters, falling from 18.9% in 2024 to 14.5% in 2025 . The 2026 Ivors nominations show 40 male nominees compared to 19 female nominees, with two artists identifying as non-binary among the 61 total recognized songwriters and composers.
Key Nominees and Categories
Olivia Dean’s success follows her strong performance at the Brit Awards in February. Kae Tempest is notably nominated twice in the Best Contemporary Song category for “I Stand on the Line” and “Know Yourself,” both collaborations with Fraser T Smith, and “Know Yourself” also features Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers.
Best Album
- Jim Legxacy – Black British Music (written by Legxacy and Joe Stanley)
- CMAT – Euro Country (written and performed by CMAT)
- Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving (written by Dean, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang)
- Wolf Alice – The Clearing (written by Joff Oddie and Ellie Rowsell)
- Lily Allen – West End Girl (written by Allen, Chloe Angelides, Kito and Blue May)
Best Contemporary Song
- Gorillaz – “Damascus” (ft Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey) (written by Damon Albarn, Bey and Souleyman)
- Little Simz – “Fire” (written by Simz, Alex Bonfanti and Miles Clinton James)
- Self Esteem – “I Do and I Don’t Care” (written by Self Esteem and Johan Hugo)
- Kae Tempest – “I Stand on the Line” (written by Tempest and Fraser T Smith)
- Kae Tempest – “Know Yourself” (written by Tempest, Fraser T Smith and Tom Rowlands)
Best Song Musically and Lyrically
- Jacob Alon – “Don’t Fall Asleep” (written by Alon)
- Florence + the Machine – “Everybody Scream” (written by Florence Welch, Mark Bowen and Mitski)
- Self Esteem – “Focus Is Power” (written by Self Esteem, Johan Hugo and Jacob Vetter)
- Wolf Alice – “The Sofa” (written by Ellie Rowsell)
- Sugababes – “Weeds” (written by Tove Burman, Anya Jones and Jon Shave)
Other Notable Nominations
- PRS for Music Most Performed Work: Olivia Dean – “Man I Necessitate,” Lola Young – “Messy,” Coldplay – “Viva la Vida”
- Rising Star: Chloe Qisha, Divorce, Jacob Alon, Kwn, Skye Newman
- Best Original Film Score: Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia, Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
- Best Television Soundtrack: Aaron May and David Ridley – Adolescence
Addressing the Impact of AI
The Ivors Academy has positioned itself as a champion of human creativity, acknowledging concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on the livelihoods of musicians. The awards are presented as “a powerful affirmation of human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters” in the face of these emerging challenges.
The Ivors 2026 Ceremony
The winners will be announced on May 21st in London. The ceremony will also include additional outstanding achievement awards, including Songwriter of the Year.
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