Ivor Novello Awards – 2010-2012

Ivor Novello Awards 2010

For the final post in this series, we reach the 2010s, and 55 years of the Ivor Novello Awards. The 2010 ceremony took place on 20th May 2010 at the Grosvenor House, London.

• PRS for Music Most Performed Work: The Fear, performed by Lily Allen. Also nominated: Broken Strings, by James Morrison, and The Promise, by Girls Aloud, written by Xenomania
• Best Television Soundtrack: Desperate Romantics, composed by Daniel Pemberton. Also nominated: Life, by George Fenton, and Red Riding 1974, by Adrian Johnston
• Best Contemporary Song: Daniel, written by Natasha Khan. Also nominated: Bonkers, by Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden, and In for the Kill, by La Roux
• The Ivors Inspiration Award: Johnny Marr
• Best Original Video Game Score: Killzone 2, composed by Joris de Man. Also nominated: Empire: Total War, by Richard Beddow, Richard Birdsall, Walter Mair, Lorenzo Piggici and Simon Ravn, and Savage Moon: Waldgeist, by Armin Elsaesser
• The Ivors Classical Music Award: Peter Maxwell Davies
• Best Song Musically & Lyrically: The Fear, written by Lily Allen. Also nominated: Save It for Someone Who Cares, by The Leisure Society, and The Last Bus, by Patch William
• Album Award: Sunny Side Up, by Paolo Nutini. Also nominated: The Duckworth Lewis Method, by The Duckworth Lewis Method, and Tongue N’ Cheek, by Dizzee Rascal
• International Achievement: Imogen Heap
• Best Original Film Score: Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, composed by John Powell. Also nominated: Skin, by Hélène Muddiman, and The Young Victoria, by Ilan Eshkeri
• PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Trevor Horn
• The Special International Award: Neil Sedaka
• Songwriters of the Year: Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin
• Lifetime Achievement: Paul Weller
• BASCA Fellowship: Tim Rice

Ivor Novello Awards 2011

Grosvenor House in London hosted the 2011 Ivor Novello Awards, on 19th May.

• PRS for Music Most Performed Work: She Said, performed by Plan B. Also nominated: All the Lovers, written by Kish Mauve and performed by Kylie Minogue, and This Ain’t A Love Song, by Scouting for Girls
• Best Original Video Game Score: Napoleon: Total War, composed by Richard Beddow, Richard Birdsall and Ian Livingstone. Also nominated: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, by Nitin Sawhney, and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, by Richard Jacques
• Best Contemporary Song: Pass Out, performed by Tinie Tempah. Also nominated: Islands, by The xx, and Katy on a Mission by Katy B
• Best Television Soundtrack: Any Human Heart, by Dan Jones. Also performed: Agatha Christie’s Marple, Series V, by Dominik Scherrer, and Going Postal, by John Lunn
• The Ivors Inspiration Award: Dizzee Rascal
• The Ivors Classical Music Award: Michael Nyman
• Album Award: The Defamation of Strickland Banks, by Plan B. Also nominated: Flaws, by Bombay Bicycle Club, and Man Alive, by Everything Everything
• Best Original Film Score: How To Train Your Dragon, composed by John Powell. Also nominated: Monsters, by Jon Hopkins, and Unstoppable, by Harry Gregson-Williams
• PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Paul Rodgers
• Best Song Musically and Lyrically: Becoming a Jackal, performed by Villagers. Also nominated: MY KZ, UR BF, by Everything Everything, and Spanish Sahara, by Foals
• International Achievement: Muse
• Outstanding Song Collection: Steve Winwood
• Songwriter of the Year: Ben Drew
• PRS for Music Special International Award: Stephen Sondheim

Ivor Novello Awards 2012

The 2012 ceremony took place at Grosvenor House on 17th May.

• Best Contemporary Song: Video Games, performed by Lana Del Rey. Also nominated: Promises, by Nero, and The Wilhelm Scream, by James Blake
• PRS for Music Most Performed Work: Rolling In The Deep, performed by Adele. Also nominated: Someone Like You, by Adele, and The Flood, by Take That
• Best Television Soundtrack: The Shadow Line, composed by Martin Phipps. Also nominated: Leonardo, by Mark Russell, and Page Eight, by Paul Englishby
• The Ivors Jazz Award: Stan Tracey
• Album Award: Let England Shake, by PJ Harvey. Also nominated: 21, performed by Adele, and 50 Words For Snow, by Kate Bush
• Outstanding Song Collection: Gary Kemp
• The Ivors Inspiration Award: Siouxsie Sioux
• Best Original Film Score: The First Grader, composed by Alex Heffes. Also nominated: Life in a Day, by Harry Gregson-Williams and Matthew Herbert, and We Need To Talk About Kevin, by Jonny Greenwood
• PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Take That
• Best Song Musically and Lyrically: The A Team, by Ed Sheeran. Also nominated: Rolling in the Deep, by Adele, and Shake It Out, by Florence + The Machine
• Lifetime Achievement: Mark Knopfler
• Songwriter of the Year: Adele
• PRS for Music Special International Award: Jimmy Webb
• BASCA Fellowship: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Further Reading

• 2010 on theivors.com
• 2011 on theivors.com
• 2012 on theivors.com

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Mercury Prize 2018

We found out a few weeks ago who was in the running for this year’s Mercury Prize – in case you weren’t fully paying attention, here’s that list again:

• Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
• Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
• Everything is Recorded – Everything is Recorded
• Florence + The Machine – High as Hope
• Jorja Smith – Lost & Found
• King Krule – The Ooz
• Lily Allen – No Shame
• Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?
• Novelist – Novelist Guy
• Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile
• Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life

Well, on 20th September, the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith hosted this year’s ceremony, where the winner was revealed to be Wolf Alice.

While I don’t think the Mercury Prize is technically ever particularly bad for anybody’s career, it seems to be a little variable in terms of the success it provides (although I’m sure the £25,000 comes in handy). The Official Charts website had an interesting analysis of past winners, which reveals just how commercially unsuccessful some of the winners have been, particularly in recent years (last year’s winner Sampha peaked high, but is one of the worst selling of the lot). The Guardian article includes some nice analysis of the sales patterns for this year’s ceremony.

It’s also worth taking a moment to browse the previous nominees in one big list, which for some reason is an analysis I’ve never got around to doing. Turns out the panel adore Radiohead, but they have never quite got around to letting them win. PJ Harvey, of course, is somewhat surprisingly their favourite artist, having won twice and with two more nominations to her name. Impressive, given that only just over 300 albums have ever been nominated – maybe white rock is just a lot more accomplished than other forms.

Mercury Prize 2018 – Nominees

Am I going crazy, or is the shortlist for the Mercury Prize a lot less imaginative than usual this year? Here it is:

• Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
• Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
• Everything is Recorded – Everything is Recorded
• Florence + The Machine – High as Hope
• Jorja Smith – Lost & Found
• King Krule – The Ooz
• Lily Allen – No Shame
• Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?
• Novelist – Novelist Guy
• Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile
• Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life

The awards will be on 20th September in Hammersmith, and there’s more here.

NME Awards – 2009-2011

Between 2009 and 2011, the NME Awards were still clinging onto their rock obsession, but started to have a few interesting nominees.

Shockwaves NME Awards 2009

Hosted at the Brixton Academy on 25 February 2009, by Mark Watson.

• Godlike Genius Award: The Cure
• Outstanding Contribution to Music: Elbow
• Best British Band supported by Shockwaves: Oasis. Also nominated: Bloc Party, The Last Shadow Puppets, Muse, Radiohead
• Best International Band supported by 4music: The Killers. Also nominated: Crystal Castles, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Vampire Weekend
• Best Solo Artist: Pete Doherty. Also nominated: Ladyhawke, Laura Marling, Lightspeed Champion, Jay-Z
• Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe: Muse. Also nominated: The Killers, Kings of Leon, Oasis, Radiohead
• Best New Band supported by Bench: MGMT. Also nominated: Glasvegas, Late of the Pier, Vampire Weekend, White Lies
• Best Album supported by HMV: Kings of Leon, for Only by the Night. Also nominated: Bloc Party, for Intimacy, Glasvegas, for Glasvegas, The Killers, for Day & Age, Oasis, for Dig Out Your Soul
• Best Track supported by NME Radio: MGMT, for Time to Pretend. Also nominated: Kings of Leon, for Sex on Fire, The Last Shadow Puppets, for The Age of the Understatement, The Ting Tings, for That’s Not My Name, Vampire Weekend, for A-Punk
• Best Dancefloor Filler: Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris, for Dance Wiv Me. Also nominated: Bloc Party, for Mercury, Crystal Castles, for Courtship Dating, Friendly Fires, for Paris, Late of the Pier, for Bathroom Gurgle
• Best Video supported by NME TV: The Last Shadow Puppets, for My Mistakes Were Made For You. Also nominated: Late of the Pier, for Heartbreak, Oasis, for The Shock of the Lightning, Radiohead, for House of Cards, Vampire Weekend, for A-Punk
• Best DVD: Arctic Monkeys, for Live at the Apollo. Also nominated: Foo Fighters, for Live at Wembley Stadium, Kaiser Chiefs, for Live at Elland Road, Muse, for HAARP, The Rolling Stones, for Shine a Light
• Best Live Event: Glastonbury Festival. Also nominated: Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds, T in the Park, V Festival
• Best TV Show: The Mighty Boosh. Also nominated: Gavin and Stacey, The IT Crowd, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Skins
• Worst TV Show: Big Brother
• Best Film: [not stated]. Nominated: The Dark Knight, Juno, Quantum of Solace, Twilight, Wall-E
• Hero of the Year: Barack Obama. Also nominated: Alex Turner, Brandon Flowers, Noel Fielding, Noel Gallagher
• Villain of the Year: George W. Bush. Also nominated: Amy Winehouse, Gordon Brown, John McCain, Pete Doherty
• Best Dressed: Alexa Chung. Also nominated: Alex Turner, Brandon Flowers, Noel Fielding, Noel Gallagher
• Worst Dressed: Amy Winehouse. Also nominated: Brandon Flowers, Johnny Borrell, Katy Perry, Pete Doherty
• Best Website: YouTube. Also nominated: Bebo, Facebook, Last FM, MySpace
• Best Venue: London Astoria. Also nominated: Brixton Academy, Manchester Apollo, Glasgow Barrowlands, London O2 Arena
• Worst Album: Jonas Brothers, for A Little Bit Longer. Also nominated: Britney Spears, for Circus, Coldplay, for Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Razorlight, for Slipway Fires, Scouting for Girls, for Scouting for Girls
• Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Also nominated: Fall Out Boy, Oasis, Scouting for Girls, Tokio Hotel
• Sexiest Man: Matt Bellamy. Also nominated: Carl Barat, Keith Murray, Miles Kane, Pete Doherty
• Sexiest Woman: Hayley Williams. Also nominated: Alison Mosshart, Kate Jackson, Lykke Li, Stephanie Dosen
• Best Album Artwork: Muse, for HAARP. Also nominated: The Cure, for 4:13 Dream, Guillemots, for Red, The Killers, for Day and Age, We Are Scientists, for Brain Thrust Mastery
• Best Band Blog: Noel Gallagher / Oasis. Also nominated: Foals, Lightspeed Champion, Little Boots, Radiohead
• Philip Hall Radar Award: The Big Pink

Shockwaves NME Awards 2010

The awards took place at the Brixton Academy on 24 February 2010, and were hosted by Jarvis Cocker, with performances by Kasabian with Noel Fielding, The Specials, Biffy Clyro featuring Marina Diamandis, The Big Pink with Lily Allen.

• Godlike Genius Award: Paul Weller
• Outstanding Contribution to Music: The Specials
• Best British Band: Muse. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro, Kasabian, Oasis
• Best International Band: Paramore. Also nominated: Green Day, Kings Of Leon, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Best Solo Artist: Jamie T. Also nominated: Dizzee Rascal, Florence And The Machine, Julian Casablancas, Lady Gaga
• Best New Band: Bombay Bicycle Club. Also nominated: The Big Pink, Mumford & Sons, The xx, La Roux
• Best Live Band: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Kasabian, Muse, Radiohead, Them Crooked Vultures
• Best Album: Kasabian, for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Humbug, Muse, for The Resistance, The Cribs, for Ignore The Ignorant, The Horrors, for Primary Colours
• Best Track: The Big Pink, for Dominos. Also nominated: Animal Collective, for My Girls, Arctic Monkeys, for Crying Lightning, Florence + The Machine, for Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Jamie T, for Sticks N’ Stones
• Best Video: Biffy Clyro, for The Captain. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Cornerstone, Kasabian, for Fire, The Maccabees, for Can You Give It, Oasis, for Falling Down
• Best Live Event: Blur at Hyde Park. Also nominated: Jay-Z at Alexandra Palace, Muse at Teignmouth, Oasis at Heaton Park, The Dead Weather at Shoreditch Church
• Best Festival: Glastonbury Festival. Also nominated: Download, Reading and Leeds Festivals, T In The Park, V Festival
• Best TV Show: The Inbetweeners. Also nominated: Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Peep Show, Skins, True Blood
• Best Film: Inglourious Basterds. Also nominated: (500) Days Of Summer, In The Loop, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Where The Wild Things Are
• Best Dancefloor Filler: La Roux, for In for the Kill (Skream Remix). Also nominated: Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden, for Bonkers, Florence + The Machine, for You’ve Got The Love, Lady Gaga, for Poker Face, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, for Zero
• Best DVD: The Mighty Boosh Live – Future Sailors Tour. Also nominated: Kings Of Leon, for Live At The The O2 Arena, Flight Of The Conchords, for Complete HBO Second Season, The Killers, for Live From The Royal Albert Hall, Nirvana, for Live At Reading
• Hero of the Year: Rage Against The Machine. Also nominated: Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher, Matt Bellamy, Alex Turner
• Villain of the Year: Kanye West. Also nominated: Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Simon Cowell, Lady Gaga
• Best Dressed: Lady Gaga. Also nominated: Liam Gallagher, Noel Fielding, Florence Welch, Karen O
• Worst Dressed: Lady Gaga. Also nominated: Matt Bellamy, Katy Perry, Liam Gallagher, Elly Jackson (La Roux)
• Worst Album: Jonas Brothers, for Lines, Vines and Trying Times. Also nominated: Green Day, for 21st Century Breakdown, Lady Gaga, for The Fame, U2, for No Line On The Horizon, Arctic Monkeys, for Humbug
• Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Also nominated: Green Day, Oasis, Paramore
• Hottest Man: Matt Bellamy (Muse)
• Hottest Woman: Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
• Best Website: Muse.mu. Also nominated: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, GreenDay.com
• Best Album Artwork: Kasabian, for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Also nominated: Muse, for The Resistance, Green Day, for 21st Century Breakdown, The Cribs, for Ignore The Ignorant, Manic Street Preachers, for Journal For Plague Lovers
• Best Band Blog: Radiohead (Radiohead.com/deadairspace). Also nominated: Muse (Muse.mu and Twitter.com/muse), Noel Gallagher (Oasisinet.com), Los Campesinos! (Loscampesinos.com), Paramore (Paramore.net)
• Giving It Back Fan Award: Lily Allen, for her Twitter ticket treasure hunt. Also nominated: Kasabian and Noel Fielding for free Vlad The Impaler video, Danger Mouse for leaking Dark Night Of The Soul, Arctic Monkeys for their Oxfam golden tickets, Vampire Weekend for giving away Horchata from the album Contra
• Phillip Hall Radar Award: The Drums

Shockwaves NME Awards 2011

Hosted by Angelos Epithemiou at the Brixton Academy on 23 February 2011. Performances by My Chemical Romance, Hurts, PJ Harvey, Crystal Castles, and Foo Fighters.

• Godlike Genius Award: Dave Grohl
• John Peel Award for Innovation: Crystal Castles
• Philip Hall Radar Award: The Naked and Famous
• Outstanding Contribution to Music: PJ Harvey
• Best British Band: Muse. Nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Kasabian
• Best International Band: My Chemical Romance. Nominated: Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, The Drums, Vampire Weekend
• Best Solo Artist: Laura Marling. Nominated: Florence Welch, Frank Turner, Kanye West, Paul Weller
• Best New Band: Hurts. Nominated: Beady Eye, Everything Everything, The Drums, Two Door Cinema Club
• Best Live Band: Biffy Clyro. Nominated: Arcade Fire, Foals, Kasabian, Muse
• Best Album: Arcade Fire, for The Suburbs. Nominated: Crystal Castles, for Crystal Castles II, Foals, for Total Life Forever, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, Two Door Cinema Club, for Tourist History
• Best Track: Foals, for Spanish Sahara. Nominated: Cee Lo Green, for Fuck You, Gorillaz, for Stylo, Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi, for Tightrope, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl., for Bang Bang Bang
• Best Video: My Chemical Romance, for Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na). Nominated: Arcade Fire, for We Used To Wait, Brandon Flowers, for Crossfire, Chase & Status, for Let You Go, Gorillaz, for Stylo
• Best Festival: Glastonbury. Nominated: Download, Reading And Leeds Festivals, T In The Park, V Festival
• Best TV Show: Skins. Nominated: Misfits, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Peep Show, The Inbetweeners
• Best Film: Inception. Nominated: Get Him To The Greek, Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, The Social Network
• Best Dancefloor Filler: Professor Green, for Jungle. Nominated: Crystal Castles, for Baptism, Kele, for Tenderoni, Plan B, for Stay Too Long, Tinie Tempah, for Pass Out
• Hero of the Year: Lady Gaga. Nominated: Gerard Way, Julian Assange, Kanye West
• Villain of the Year: David Cameron. Nominated: Axl Rose, Justin Bieber, Nick Clegg, Simon Cowell
• Most Stylish: Brandon Flowers. Nominated: Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher, Noel Fielding
• Least Stylish: Justin Bieber. Nominated: Cheryl Cole, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher
• Worst Album: Justin Bieber, for My World. Nominated: Cheryl Cole, for Messy Little Raindrops, Katy Perry, for Teenage Dream, Kings Of Leon, for Come Around Sundown, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys
• Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Nominated: 30 Seconds To Mars, JLS, Kings Of Leon, Tokio Hotel
• Hottest Man: Matt Bellamy. Nominated: Alex Turner, Billie Joe Armstrong, Dominic Howard, Jared Leto
• Hottest Woman: Alison Mosshart. Nominated: Emily Haines, Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Shakira
• Best Album Artwork: Klaxons, for Surfing The Void. Nominated: Foals, for Total Life Forever, Gorillaz, for Plastic Beach, MGMT, for Congratulations, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys
• Best Band Blog or Twitter: Hayley Williams. Nominated: Frank Turner, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Theo Hutchcraft
• Best Book: John Lydon, for Mr Rotten’s Scrapbook. Nominated: Carl Barât, for Threepenny Memoir, Jay-Z, for Decoded, Keith Richards, for Life, Russell Brand, My Booky Wook 2
• Best Small Festival (50,000 capacity or lower): RockNess. Nominated: Bestival, Kendal Calling, Latitude, Underage Festival

See also

• NME Awards on Wikipedia
• A History of the NME Awards 1953-2010
• Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 – Nominations
• Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 – Winners
• NME Awards 2010 – Nominations and Winners
• NME Awards 2011 – Nominations and Winners

Ivor Novello Awards 2018

This year’s Ivor Novello Awards happened on Thursday 31st May at Grosvenor House in London, presented by Paul Gambaccini.

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

• Everything Everything – Can’t Do
• Elbow – Magnificent (She Says)
• Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano

Winner: Elbow

Best Contemporary Song

• CamelPhat and Elderbrook – Cola
• Stormzy ft. Raleigh Ritchie – Don’t Cry For Me
• Dave – Question Time

Winner: Dave

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

• Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill
• Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Human
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You

Winner: Ed Sheeran

Album Award

• Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
• Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
• This is the Kit – Moonshine Freeze

Winner: Stormzy

Best Original Film Score

• Benjamin Wallfisch – IT
• Mica Levi – Jackie
• Dario Marianelli – Paddington 2

Winner: Mica Levi

Best Television Soundtrack

• Rob Lane – Babs
• Dan Jones – SS-GB
• Dan Jones – The Miniaturist

Winner: The Miniaturist

Best Original Video Game Score

• David Garcia Diaz and Andy LaPlegua – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Joris de Man, Joe Henson and Alexis Smith – Horizon Zero Dawn
• Igor Haefeli and Elena Tonra – Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Winner: Horizon Zero Dawn

International Achievement

Winner: Billy Ocean

Outstanding Song Collection

Winner: Cathy Dennis

PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music

Winner: Billy Bragg

PRS for Music Special International Award

Winner: Lionel Richie

Songwriter of the Year

Winner: Ed Sheeran

The Ivors Classical Music Award

Winner: Thea Musgrave

The Ivors Inspiration Award

Winner: Shane MacGowan

Join us in the autumn, when – assuming everything goes to plan – we’ll roll all the way back to the original awards ceremonies in the 1950s.

Ivor Novello Awards 2018 – Nominations

So, as promised, this year we’ll be taking an interest in the Ivor Novello Awards – or, as they appear to have now rebranded themselves, the Ivors. Here are this year’s nominees!

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

• Everything Everything – Can’t Do
• Elbow – Magnificent (She Says)
• Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano

Best Contemporary Song

• CamelPhat and Elderbrook – Cola
• Stormzy ft. Raleigh Ritchie – Don’t Cry For Me
• Dave – Question Time

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

• Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill
• Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Human
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You

Album Award

• Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
• Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
• This is the Kit – Moonshine Freeze

Best Original Film Score

• Benjamin Wallfisch – IT
• Mica Levi – Jackie
• Dario Marianelli – Paddington 2

Best Television Soundtrack

• Rob Lane – Babs
• Dan Jones – SS-GB
• Dan Jones – The Miniaturist

Best Original Video Game Score

• David Garcia Diaz and Andy LaPlegua – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Joris de Man, Joe Henson and Alexis Smith – Horizon Zero Dawn
• Igor Haefeli and Elena Tonra – Life is Strange: Before the Storm

The winners of these, as well as several other awards, will be revealed by Paul Gambaccini at the ceremony at Grosvenor House in London, on Thursday 31st May 2018.

Q Awards 2015

So, with only a couple of weeks’ delay, it’s time for us to examine the winners at this year’s Q Awards. Who won the Q Best New Act Who Turned Up in the World Today award, presented by Trebor Extra-Strong Mints? Let’s find out…

Q Best Act in the World Today presented by Queen Bohemian Lager

Nominees:

• Blur
• Foals
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
• Muse
• Ed Sheeran

Winner: Foals

Q Best Solo Artist presented by Citroën

Nominees:

• Noel Gallagher
• Ed Sheeran
• Sam Smith
• Taylor Swift
• Kanye West

Winner: Ed Sheeran

Q Best New Act presented by Orange Amplification

Nominees:

• Courtney Barnett
• James Bay
• The Bohicas
• Circa Waves
• Jess Glynne
• Slaves
• Soak
• Songhoy Blues
• Wolf Alice
• Years & Years

Winner: James Bay

Q Best Track presented by Absolute Radio

Nominees:

• Florence + The Machine – What Kind of Man
• Foals – What Went Down
• The Libertines – Gunga Din
• New Order – Restless
• Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk

Winner: The Libertines

Q Best Album presented by JBL

Nominees:

• Blur – The Magic Whip
• Everything Everything – Get to Heaven
• Florence + The Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday
• Jamie xx – In Colour

Winner: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Q Hero

Winner: Mark Ronson

Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club

Nominees:

• Catfish & The Bottlemen
• The Libertines
• Mumford & Sons
• Royal Blood
• Ed Sheeran

Winner: Royal Blood

Q Classic Song

Winner: Queen, for Bohemian Rhapsody

Q Classic Album

Winner: Soul II Soul, for Club Classics Vol. One

Q Innovation in Sound presented by Sony Xperia

Winner: Gary Numan

Gibson Les Paul Award

Winner: Tony Iommi

Q Outstanding Contribution to Music

Winner: New Order

Q Icon

Winner: Duran Duran

Q Best Video

Nominees:

• Florence + The Machine – Ship to Wreck
• Foals – What Went Down
• Miguel – Coffee
• Muse – Psycho
• The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face

Winner: Florence + The Machine

Nice to see Gary Numan, Duran Duran, and New Order all honoured in one go. I’m not sure I ever thought I’d see Duran Duran turn up in an “icon” category, but there you are. There’s plenty of excellent bonus coverage on the Q magazine website, including Stephen Morris of New Order pretending to be Alan Partridge, Gary Numan and ze Jean-Michel Jarre talking about their collaboration, and Father Christmas talking about his days in Queen.

Q Awards 2015 – Nominees

Apologies for the slight delay, but this year Q decided to drag their heels somewhat about releasing their nominations, so this post got a little lost in the meantime. As always, there will no doubt be a slew of additional awards with near-identical names on the night, but for now, here are the nominees for the 2015 Q Awards:

Q Best New Act presented by Orange Amplification

• Courtney Barnett
• James Bay
• The Bohicas
• Circa Waves
• Jess Glynne
• Slaves
• Soak
• Songhoy Blues
• Wolf Alice
• Years & Years

Q Best Track presented by Absolute Radio

• Florence + The Machine – What Kind of Man
• Foals – What Went Down
• The Libertines – Gunga Din
• New Order – Restless
• Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk

Q Best Video

• Florence + The Machine – Ship to Wreck
• Foals – What Went Down
• Miguel – Coffee
• Muse – Psycho
• The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face

Q Best Album presented by JBL

• Blur – The Magic Whip
• Everything Everything – Get to Heaven
• Florence + The Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday
• Jamie xx – In Colour

Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club

• Catfish & The Bottlemen
• The Libertines
• Mumford & Sons
• Royal Blood
• Ed Sheeran

Q Best Solo Artist presented by Citroën

• Noel Gallagher
• Ed Sheeran
• Sam Smith
• Taylor Swift
• Kanye West

Q Best Act in the World Today presented by Queen Bohemian Lager

• Blur
• Foals
• Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
• Muse
• Ed Sheeran

Since their album only came out the week these nominations were announced, I’m not sure how much of a chance New Order actually have, but you should definitely vote for them in every available category. Which is just one category – pick whatever you want for everything else. The awards take place next week.

Ivor Novello Awards 2014

The 59th Ivor Novello Awards ceremony quietly took place on 22nd May at Grosvenor House in London.

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

Which is an oddly named award until you realise that “PRS for Music” is what the sponsoring organisation calls itself these days. Nominees:

• Emeli Sandé – Clown (Shahid “Naughty Boy” Khan / Grant Mitchell / Emeli Sandé)
• Passenger – Let Her Go (Mike Rosenberg)
• Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida – Troublemaker (Claude Kelly / Oliver Murs / Steve Robson)

Winner: Passenger / Mike Rosenberg

The Ivors Classical Music Award

Winner: John McCabe

Best Television Soundtrack

Nominees:

• Mr. Selfridge (Charlie Mole)
• Ripper Street (Dominik Scherrer)
• The Thirteenth Tale (Benjamin Wallfisch)

Winner: Charlie Mole for Ripper Street

Best Contemporary Song

Nominees:

• Everything Everything – Kemosabe (Jonathan Higgs / Jeremy Pritchard / Alexander Robertshaw / Michael Spearman)
• Disclosure feat. Sam Smith – Latch (Guy Lawrence / Howard Lawrence / James Napier / Sam Smith)
• James Blake – Retrograde (James Blake)

Winner: James Blake

International Achievement

Winner: Mumford & Sons

Best Original Film Score

Nominees:

• Captain Phillips (Henry Jackman)
• Gravity (Steven Price)
• The Epic of Everest (Simon Fisher Turner)

Winner: Simon Fisher Turner

The Ivors Inspiration Award

Winner: Jerry Dammers

Album Award

Nominees:

• Arctic Monkeys – AM (Alex Turner)
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away (Nick Cave / Warren Ellis)
• Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon (Laura Mvula)

Winner: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music

Winner: Jeff Beck

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

Nominees:

• Palma Violets – Best of Friends (Will Doyle / Sam Fryer / Chilli Jesson / Pete Mayhew)
• John Newman – Love Me Again (Steve Booker / John Newman)
• London Grammar – Strong (Dominic Major / Hannah Reid / Daniel Rothman)

Winner: London Grammar

Songwriter of the Year

Winner: Tom Odell

Outstanding Song Collection

Winner: The Chemical Brothers

Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Christine McVie

PRS for Music Special International Award

Winner: Nile Rodgers

Visit the official Ivor Novello Awards website here, and you can see my summary of last year’s awards here.

Mercury Music Prize 2010-2012

With the Barclaycard Mercury Prize winner being announced this evening it’s high time that we caught up to the modern day and looked at the last three prize winners. This was a period in which many fans started to suggest the committee might have lost it, and PJ Harvey became the first artist ever to win the coveted award twice.

Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2010

The 2010 award took place on 7th September 2010, at the Grosvenor House hotel, in central London.

Nominees:

• Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
• Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
• Dizzee Rascal – Tongue ‘n’ Cheek
• Foals – Total Life Forever
• I Am Kloot – Sky at Night
• Kit Downes Trio – Golden
• Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
• Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
• Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
• Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
• Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
• The XX – XX

Winner: The XX

Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2011

Presented by Jools Holland on the 6th September 2011, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Nominees:

• Adele – 21
• Katy B – On a Mission
• James Blake – James Blake
• Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
• Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys!
• Everything Everything – Man Alive
• Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
• King Creosote and Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
• Metronomy – The English Riviera
• Gwilym Simcock – Good Days at Schloss Elmau
• Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy

Winner: PJ Harvey

Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2012

As part of the new format, the award shifted back a couple of months and took place on 1st November 2012, at The Roundhouse, Camden.

Nominees:

• Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
• Django Django – Django Django
• Field Music – Plumb
• Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky’s Edge
• Ben Howard – Every Kingdom
• Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
• Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough?
• Sam Lee – Ground of Its Own
• The Maccabees – Given to the Wild
• Plan B – Ill Manors
• Roller Trio – Roller Trio
• Jessie Ware – Devotion

Winner: Alt-J

Further information

• Mercury Music Prize on Wikipedia
• The Independent interview the 2010 nominees about their thoughts on the awards
• The dullest newspaper in the world speculates on whether the 2010 nominations were the dullest yet
• Detailed piece on the 2010 award
• Paul Morley’s commentary on the 2010 award in The Guardian
• The Guardian Music Weekly podcast on the 2010 award
• BBC coverage of the 2010 award
• The Guardian coverage of the 2011 nominations
• BBC coverage of the 2011 award
• BBC news coverage of the 2011 award
• The Guardian Music Weekly podcast on the 2011 award
• BBC news coverage of the 2012 nominations
• The Guardian coverage of the 2012 award
• The Guardian Music Weekly podcast on the 2012 award
• The Independent’s coverage of the revamped 2012 award
• Some nonsense from 2012 about whether the award isn’t what it used to be