Harry Styles, Kate Bush among nominees for Ivor songwriting awards

LONDON — Singers Harry Styles and Kate Bush are among the nominees at next month's Ivors, the annual awards honouring songwriters and screen composers.

Kate Bush is being recognised for her 1985 song "Running Up That Hill" which enjoyed a resurgence in popularity last year thanks to Netflix show Stranger Things, the UK-based Ivors Academy said on Tuesday (April 18) evening.

The track will compete against Styles' mega hit "As It Was" in the most performed work category, which also includes Glass Animals' "Heat Waves" and two songs by hitmaker Ed Sheeran, "Shivers" and "Bad Habits".

Sheeran won the category last year with "Bad Habits" and it is the first time the same song has been nominated for the award two years running.

Styles has three nominations overall, including best song musically and lyrically for "As It Was" and songwriter of the year alongside his collaborator Kid Harpoon.

That category also includes singer Florence Welch, Wet Leg duo Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, George Daniel and Matty Healy of pop rock group The 1975 and rapper Central Cee with collaborator Young Chencs.

Album of the year contenders include rock group Arctic Monkeys' "The Car", Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C.'s "Skinty Fia" and Nigerian-born artist Obongjayar's "Some Nights I Dream of Doors".

Rapper Little Simz's album "No Thank You" and music collective Sault's "11" are also nominated, both with credits for singer-songwriter Cleo Sol and producer Dean “Inflo” Josiah Cover. The duo have three nominations overall.

Tom Odell’s "Best Day of My Life", Katie Gregson-Macleod’s "complex", Sault's "Stronger" and Florence + the Machine’s "King" complete the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category.

"The music nominated for an Ivor Novello this year is testament to the power and range of British and Irish songwriting and screen composing," Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said in a statement. "It’s a superlative list." Box office hit Avatar: The Way of Water and psychological drama Don't Worry Darling are among the nominees for best original film score.

Named after the early 20th century Welsh composer, actor and entertainer Ivor Novello, the Ivor Awards were first handed out in 1956. This year's awards take place on May 18 in London.

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