Ivor Novello Award

The Ivor Novello Award , named after the musical composer Ivor Novello , is a British award for songwriters and composers . The Ivors have been awarded annually in London since 1956 . The prizes are awarded to the winners by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).

background

The Ivor Novello Award was launched in 1955 by the Songwriters' Guild of Great Britain , a predecessor organization of BASCA. The aim was to upgrade British music against the US influence after World War II . The prize was donated in honor of the Welshman Ivor Novello, who died in 1951 and who , particularly after his time as an actor, had written numerous successful musicals and melodies from 1935 onwards. The award is to be made for outstanding achievements in the field of composition and songwriting in recognition of achievements for British music.

The awards ceremony takes place in May of each year and awards are given for works published in the UK in the previous year. Hazel Underwood created a bronze statuette as a trophy depicting Euterpe , the Greek muse of music and poetry. Since 1956 it has been awarded to the winners in reproductions of the original design.

The British rights management company PRS for Music (Performing Right Society) has sponsored the Ivor Novello Awards since 1974.

Categories

Over the years, definitions and terms, but also the number of categories have changed again and again. In 2014 prizes were awarded in the following 14 categories:

Best Song Musically and Lyrically
Best contemporary song
Album Award
Best Original Film Score
Best Television Soundtrack

Most performed work

Songwriter of the Year
The Ivors Classical Music Award
International Achievement
The Ivors Inspiration Award
Outstanding Contribution to British Music
Outstanding Song Collection
Special International Award
Lifetime Achievement

In the first five categories, authors and publishers are awarded for certain works. Eligible works must be at least one-third in British or Irish authorship. The awardees must be British or Irish citizens or be resident in the UK. In the two song categories and the album category, the proposed works must also have been in the top 75 of the UK music charts that year. The BASCA puts together a committee from its members, the majority of which consists of songwriters and composers. The committee selects three nominations from the proposals received, from which the winner is determined in a second ballot.

The award for Most Performed Work is given on the basis of statistical surveys (airplay, TV performances and other uses). The remaining categories are personal awards from the Academy to selected composers and songwriters according to various criteria.

Previous awards included: British Musical, Dance Award, Jazz Award, Video Game Score, Best-Selling Song / Single, International Hit, BASCA Fellowship

Award winners

The first award for the Most Popular Song of 1955 went to Tolchard Evans and Larry Kahn for their composition Ev'rywhere , a hit for the English singer David Whitfield . The most successful composers of the 1960s were John Lennon and Paul McCartney . There were a total of 15 awards for the works of the Beatles . In the 1970s, many songwriting teams such as Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman , Elton John and Bernie Taupin , Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice received awards. The stars of the 1980s included George Michael , Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, as well as Stock, Aitken, Waterman . In the 1990s, boy groups and their songs like Take That ( Gary Barlow ) and East 17 ( Tony Mortimer ) were in the foreground.