Charli XCX‘s acclaimed album Brat and Wham!’s timeless holiday hit Last Christmas are among the musical works nominated for next month’s Ivors, Britain’s prestigious awards honoring songwriters and screen composers. The Ivors Academy announced the nominees on Wednesday, with rising star Lola Young leading the list with three nominations. This marks her first recognition by the Academy, with nods for the Rising Star Award, Best Song Musically and Lyrically for her single Messy, and Best Album for This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway.
Charli XCX’s Brat, which sparked a major cultural wave last year, is also competing for Best Album, alongside Jordan Rakei’s The Loop. Rappers Ghetts and Berwyn earned nominations for their respective albums On Purpose, With Purpose and Who Am I, showcasing the strong presence of UK hip-hop and alternative sounds at this year’s awards.
In the Most Performed Work category, Wham!’s Last Christmas returns to the spotlight. First released in 1984, the track continues to dominate the UK charts every holiday season. Its writer, the late George Michael, receives a posthumous nod, two decades after his last Ivors nomination. Also competing in the Most Performed Work category are Dua Lipa’s Houdini, Myles Smith’s Stargazing, Prada by Casso, Raye and D-Block Europe, and Harry Styles’ As It Was, which is nominated for the third consecutive year.
Singer-songwriter Raye, who won Songwriter of the Year at last year’s Ivors, is nominated again for Best Song Musically and Lyrically with her deeply personal single Genesis. Other contenders in this category include Child of Mine by Laura Marling, In the Modern World by Fontaines D.C., and Mine by Orla Gartland.
The Best Contemporary Song category features a diverse lineup, with nominations for Ghetts’ Double Standards featuring Sampha, Pa Salieu’s Allergy, Jade’s Angel of My Dreams, Sans Soucis’ Circumnavigating Georgia, and Bashy’s How Black Men Lose Their Smile.
In a major highlight, Irish rock band U2 will be honored with the Ivors Academy Fellowship, the Academy’s highest accolade, during this year’s ceremony. Celebrating its 70th edition, the Ivor Novello Awards, named after the early 20th-century Welsh composer and performer, have been a cornerstone of British music since 1956. The 2025 ceremony will take place on May 22 in London, promising a night of remarkable tributes to the best in songwriting and composition.
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