Adele, Ed Sheeran and Little Simz lead nominees for 2022 Ivor Novellos
This year's ceremony takes place on May 19
By Joe Goggins
Adele, Ed Sheeran and Little Simz are among the leading nominees for the 2022 Ivor Novello Awards.
Honouring excellence in songwriting and composition and named in honour of the legendary Welsh dramatist and composer, this year’s awards see producer Inflo lead the pack, with four nods. Sheeran follows him on three, while Adele and Simz have a pair of nominations apiece.
In the running for the coveted Songwriter of the Year Prize are Adele, Sheeran, Coldplay, Dave and RAYE. Elsewhere, Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ is up for Best Song Musically and Lyrically, with the Geordie troubadour going up against Adele, Holly Humberstone, Rag ’n’ Bone Man, and Ella Henderson & Tom Grennan.
Up for Best Contemporary Song is Simz’s ‘I Love You, I Hate You’, Russ Millions & Tion Wayne‘s ‘Body’, James Blake & SZA‘s ‘Coming Back’, PinkPantheress‘ ‘Just for Me’, and ‘Don’t Judge Me’ by FKA twigs, Fred Again and Headie One. BBC Sound of 2022 winner PinkPantheress is also up for Rising Star, alongside Ashaine White, Luz, Matilda Mann and Naomi Kimpenu.
Inflo – the London-based producer born Dean Josiah Cover – is well-placed to take home the Album of the Year gong. He’s nominated for his work on three of the five albums in the category – Simz’s ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, SAULT’s ‘Nine’ and Cleo Sol’s ‘Mother’. Only Laura Mvula & Dann Hume, for ‘Pink Noise’, and Sleaford Mods, for ‘Spare Ribs’, stand in Cover’s way. He became the first black winner of the BRIT for Best Producer back in January.
Speaking about the nominations, Shaznay Lewis, an Ivors judge and past winner as a member of All Saints, said: “It’s been a standout year for music and I am full of admiration for the 77 talented songwriters and composers we are celebrating this year. Their work and words touch on a dizzying range of emotions, and I count myself lucky to have heard their stories. As it has every year since 1956, The Ivors celebrates the outstanding creation of music, and I’d like to say a huge congratulations to every nominee.”
This year’s ceremony – the 67th instalment of the awards – takes place next month, on May 19 at Grosvenor House, London. Last year, Harry Styles, Dave and Lianne La Havas all took home prizes.