Ed Sheeran to compete against protegee for Ivor Novello

Ed Sheeran will go up against his protegee Jamie Lawson at the upcoming Ivor Novello Awards.

The 25-year-old singer’s ‘Bloodstream’ has been nominated for Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the prestigious ceremony, but faces competition from Jamie – who was the first act signed to Ed’s Gingerbread Man Records last year – and his track ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’, as well as ‘Bros’ by Wolf Alice.

Elsewhere, Skepta’s ‘Shutdown’, Roots Manua’s ‘Cargo’ and ‘All My Friends’ by Snakehips ft Tinashe & Chance The Rapper will vie for Best Contemporary Song, while former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes’ ‘Matador’ is up for Best Album alongside Jamie XX’s ‘In Colour’ and ‘Darling Arithmetic’ by Villagers.

The prize for Most Performed Work will see James Bay’s Hold Back the River’ and Jess Glynne’s ‘Hold My Hand’ face off for the award alongside Years and Years’ ‘King’.

Jess’ track was co-written by Clean Bandit’s Jack Patterson and he is stunned to be in the running for an award.

He told BANG Showbiz: "It’s so cool to be nominated, but very surreal.

"A few years ago I had no idea I’d end up even making music as a job let alone be getting these awards. I studied as an architect and was working as an architect for a number years, then I found myself on this world and now my main thing in life is writing pop music.

"We set up the band in university and kept it bubbling it over as a side project. I left and went off to Russia and was working there. Then Radio 1 picked up on one of our songs and then it just went from there.

"These awards are very prestigious and from what I’ve heard from the musicians I know they would rather win one of these awards than anything else. This has got the most prestige by virtue of what it is. "

And Jack admitted it is "different" to be recognised for his work with someone else, instead of with his group.

He added: "It is different, but I’m not sure how. My contribution is writing music and to be recognised is great. Me and Jess do have a magic chemistry. Her voice is just amazing, it has a very special tone."

Other nominations announced by Paul Gambaccini at the Arts Club in London this morning (04.18.16) included ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Pan’ and ‘The Duke of Burgundy’ for Best Film Score, and ‘From Darkness’, ‘London Spy’ and ‘And Then There Were None’ for Best Television Soundtrack.

The 2016 Ivor Novello awards take place on May 19 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.



2016 Ivor Novello Award nominations:



Best Song Musically and Lyrically:

‘Bloodstream’ – Ed Sheeran

‘Bros’ – Wolf Alice

‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ – Jamie Lawson



Best Contemporary Song:

‘All My Friends’ – Snakehips ft Tinashe & Chance The Rapper

‘Cargo’ – Roots Manuva

‘Shutdown’ – Skepta



Most Performed Work:

‘Hold Back The River’ – James Bay

‘Hold My Hand’ – Jess Glynne

‘King’ – Years & Years



Best Album:

‘Darling Arithmetic’ – Villagers

‘In Colour’ – Jamie xx

‘Matador’ – Gaz Coombes



Best Film Score

‘Ex Machina’

‘Pan’

‘The Duke of Burgundy’



Best Television Soundtrack:

‘And Then There Were None’

‘From Darkness’

‘London Spy’