# Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically

The Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically is one of the awards presented annually by the Ivors Academy at the Ivor Novello Awards to recognize the best in songwriting and composing talents from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The award was first presented in 1968, with John Lennon and Paul McCartney being the first recipients for the song "She's Leaving Home", performed by The Beatles. The award goes to the writers of the song, not the performers unless they share songwriting credits.

## Recipients
### 1960s

List of award nominees and winners for the 1960s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 1968 | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | "She's Leaving Home" | The Beatles | Won |
| 1968 | Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent | "Don't Sleep in the Subway" | Petula Clark | Nominated |
| 1969 | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive |

### 1970s

List of award nominees and winners for the 1970s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 1970 | Peter Sarstedt | "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" | Peter Sarstedt | Won |
| 1971 | George Harrison | "Something" | The Beatles | Won |
| 1972 | Hurricane Smith | "Don't Let It Die" | Hurricane Smith | Won |
| 1973 | Tom Evans and Peter Ham | '"Without You" | Badfinger | Won |
| 1974 | Elton John and Bernie Taupin | '"Daniel" | Elton John | Won |
| 1975 | Ralph McTell | "Streets of London" | Ralph McTell | Won |
| 1976 | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive |
| 1977 | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive | Category inactive |
| 1978 | Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber | "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" | Julie Covington | Won |
| 1978 | Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb | "How Deep Is Your Love" | Bee Gees | Nominated |
| 1978 | John Farrar, Hank Marvin, Don Black | "Sam" | Olivia Newton-John | Nominated |
| 1979 | Gerry Rafferty | "Baker Street" | Gerry Rafferty | Won |
| 1979 | Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow | "Can't Smile Without You" | The Carpenters | Nominated |
| 1979 | Kate Bush | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush | Nominated |

### 1980s

List of award nominees and winners for the 1980s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 1980 | Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson | "The Logical Song" | Supertramp | Won |
| 1980 | Mike Batt | "Bright Eyes" | Art Garfunkel | Nominated |
| 1980 | Alan Tarney | "We Don't Talk Anymore" | Cliff Richard | Nominated |
| 1981 | Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb | "Woman in Love" | Barbra Streisand | Won |
| 1981 | Kate Bush | "Babooshka" | Kate Bush | Nominated |
| 1981 | Ken Leray | "Together We Are Beautiful" | Fern Kinney | Nominated |
| 1981 | Tony Macaulay, Don Black | "Your Ears Should Be Burning Now" | Marti Webb | Nominated |
| 1982 | Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn | "Memory" | Elaine Paige | Won |
| 1982 | Andy Hill, Pete Sinfield | "The Land of Make Believe" | Bucks Fizz | Nominated |
| 1982 | John Lennon | "Woman" | John Lennon | Nominated |
| 1983 | Andy Hill, Pete Sinfield, John Danter | "Have You Ever Been in Love" | Leo Sayer | Won |
| 1983 | Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb | "Heartbreaker" | Dionne Warwick | Nominated |
| 1983 | Andy Hill, Nichola Martin | "Now Those Days Are Gone" | Bucks Fizz | Nominated |
| 1984 | Sting | "Every Breath You Take" | The Police | Won |
| 1984 | Paul McCartney | "Pipes of Peace" | Paul McCartney | Nominated |
| 1984 | Gary Kemp | "True" | Spandau Ballet | Nominated |
| 1985 | Phil Collins | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Phil Collins | Won |
| 1985 | George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley | "Careless Whisper" | George Michael | Nominated |
| 1985 | Jim Diamond, Graham Lyle | "I Should Have Known Better" | Jim Diamond | Nominated |
| 1986 | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | "Nikita" | Elton John | Won |
| 1986 | Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Tears for Fears | Nominated |
| 1986 | Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson | "I Know Him So Well" | Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson | Nominated |
| 1986 | Mick Jones | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Foreigner | Nominated |
| 1987 | Peter Gabriel | "Don't Give Up" | Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush | Won |
| 1987 | Charles Hart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Richard Stilgoe | "All I Ask of You" | Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman | Nominated |
| 1987 | Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart | "The Miracle of Love" | Eurythmics | Nominated |
| 1988 | Labi Siffre | "(Something Inside) So Strong" | Labi Siffre | Won |
| 1988 | Simon Climie, Dennis Morgan | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | Aretha Franklin and George Michael | Nominated |
| 1988 | Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Michael Rutherford | "Throwing It All Away" | Genesis | Nominated |
| 1989 | Sting | "They Dance Alone" | Sting | Won |
| 1989 | Gary Clark | "Mary's Prayer" | Danny Wilson | Nominated |
| 1989 | Mark Nevin | "Perfect" | Fairground Attraction | Nominated |

### 1990s

List of award nominees and winners for the 1990s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 1990 | B.A. Robertson and Mike Rutherford | "The Living Years" | Mike + The Mechanics | Won |
| 1990 | Phil Collins | "Another Day in Paradise" | Phil Collins | Nominated |
| 1990 | Marcus Vere, Richard Darbyshire, Albert Hammond | "Room in Your Heart" | Living in a Box | Nominated |
| 1991 | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | "Sacrifice" | Elton John | Won |
| 1991 | Justin Currie | "Nothing Ever Happens" | Del Amitri | Nominated |
| 1991 | Paddy McAloon | "We Let the Stars Go" | Prefab Sprout | Nominated |
| 1992 | Mike Scott | "The Whole of the Moon" | The Waterboys | Won |
| 1992 | Mick Hucknall | "Stars" | Simply Red | Nominated |
| 1992 | Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon | "The Show Must Go On" | Queen | Nominated |
| 1993 | Annie Lennox | "Why" | Annie Lennox | Won |
| 1993 | Eric Clapton, Will Jennings | "Tears in Heaven" | Eric Clapton | Nominated |
| 1993 | Andy Partridge | "The Disappointed" | XTC | Nominated |
| 1994 | Sting | "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" | Sting | Won |
| 1994 | Steve Duberry, Billy Lawrie, Lulu | "I Don't Wanna Fight" | Tina Turner | Nominated |
| 1994 | Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Warren Cuccurullo | "Ordinary World" | Duran Duran | Nominated |
| 1995 | Andy Hill, Peter Sinfield | "Think Twice" | Celine Dion | Won |
| 1995 | Mark Nevin, Kirsty McColl | "Dear John" | Eddi Reader | Nominated |
| 1995 | Boo Hewerdine | "Patience of Angels" | Eddi Reader | Nominated |
| 1996 | Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior | "Common People" | Pulp | Won |
| 1996 | Gary Barlow | "Back for Good" | Take That | Nominated |
| 1996 | David Freeman, Joseph Hughes | "No More "I Love You's"" | Annie Lennox | Nominated |
| 1997 | Brian May, Frank Musker, Elizabeth Lamers | "Too Much Love Will Kill You" | Brian May | Won |
| 1997 | Terence Martin, Karen Poole, Michelle Poole | "I Am, I Feel" | Alisha's Attic | Nominated |
| 1997 | Thomas Scott, Andrew Parle, James Edwards, Franny Griffiths | "Neighbourhood" | Space | Nominated |
| 1998 | Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Phil Selway, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien | "Paranoid Android" | Radiohead | Won |
| 1998 | Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers | "Angels" | Robbie Williams | Nominated |
| 1998 | Tjinder Singh | "Brimful of Asha" | Cornershop | Nominated |
| 1999 | Brian Higgins, Steve Torch, Paul Barry, Stuart McLennan, Tim Powell, Matt Gray | "Believe" | Cher | Won |
| 1999 | Tracy Ackerman, Ray Hedges, Martin Brannigan, Edele Lynch, Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou, Sinead O'Carroll | "C'est la Vie" | B*Witched | Nominated |
| 1999 | Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Mark Webber | "A Little Soul" | Pulp | Nominated |

### 2000s

List of award nominees and winners for the 2000s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 2000 | Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers | "Strong" | Robbie Williams | Won |
| 2000 | Pam Sheyne, David Frank, Steve Kipner | "Genie in a Bottle" | Christina Aguilera | Nominated |
| 2000 | Mutt Lange, Shania Twain | "You're Still the One" | Shania Twain | Nominated |
| 2001 | David Gray | "Babylon" | David Gray | Won |
| 2001 | Cathy Dennis, Simon Ellis | "Never Had a Dream Come True" | S Club 7 | Nominated |
| 2001 | Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin | "Trouble" | Coldplay | Nominated |
| 2002 | Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono, Larry Mullen Jr. | "Walk On" | U2 | Won |
| 2002 | David Gray | "Sail Away" | David Gray | Nominated |
| 2002 | Fran Healy | "Side" | Travis | Nominated |
| 2003 | David Gray | "The Other Side" | David Gray | Won |
| 2003 | Noel Gallagher | "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" | Oasis | Nominated |
| 2003 | Matthew Hales, Kim Oliver | "Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" | Aqualung | Nominated |
| 2004 | Francis Eg White | "Leave Right Now" | Will Young | Won |
| 2004 | Stuart Murdoch, Stephen Jackson, Christopher Geddes, Richard Colburn, Michael Cooke, Sarah Martin, Robert Kildea | "Step into My Office, Baby" | Belle and Sebastian | Nominated |
| 2004 | Dido Armstrong, Rollo Armstrong, Richard Nowels | "White Flag" | Dido | Nominated |
| 2005 | Mike Skinner | "Dry Your Eyes" | The Streets | Won |
| 2005 | Tom Chaplin, Richard Hughes, Tim Rice-Oxley | "Everybody's Changing" | Keane | Nominated |
| 2005 | Stephen Kipner, Andrew Frampton, Natasha Bedingfield, Wayne Wilkins | "These Words" | Natasha Bedingfield | Nominated |
| 2006 | KT Tunstall | "Suddenly I See" | KT Tunstall | Won |
| 2006 | Guy Berryman, Jonathan Buckland, William Champion, Chris Martin | "Fix You" | Coldplay | Nominated |
| 2006 | Alex Turner | "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" | Arctic Monkeys | Nominated |
| 2007 | Scott Matthews | "Elusive" | Scott Matthews | Won |
| 2007 | Nerina Pallot | "Sophia" | Nerina Pallot | Nominated |
| 2007 | Alex Turner | "When the Sun Goes Down" | Arctic Monkeys | Nominated |
| 2008 | Amy Winehouse | "Love Is a Losing Game" | Amy Winehouse | Won |
| 2008 | Rosi Golan, Jamie Hartman | "Let Me Out" | Ben's Brother | Nominated |
| 2008 | Amy Winehouse | "You Know I'm No Good" | Amy Winehouse | Nominated |
| 2009 | Guy Garvey, Richard Jupp, Craig Potter, Mark Potter, Peter Turner | "One Day Like This" | Elbow | Won |
| 2009 | Miles Kane, Alex Turner | "My Mistakes Were Made for You" | The Last Shadow Puppets | Nominated |
| 2009 | Nicholas Hemming | "The Last of the Melting Snow" | The Leisure Society | Nominated |

### 2010s

List of award nominees and winners for the 2010s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 2010 | Lily Allen, Greg Kurstin | "The Fear" | Lily Allen | Won |
| 2010 | Nick Hemming | "Save It for Someone Who Cares" | The Leisure Society | Nominated |
| 2010 | Ed Adlard, Will Adlard, Ali Digby, George Eddy | "The Last Bus" | Patch William | Nominated |
| 2011 | Conor O'Brien | "Becoming a Jackal" | Villagers | Won |
| 2011 | Jonathan Higgs, Jeremy Pritchard, Alexander Robertshaw, Michael Spearman | "My Kz, Ur Bf" | Everything Everything | Nominated |
| 2011 | Jack Bevan, Edwin Congreave, Walter Gervers, Yannis Philippakis, James Smith | "Spanish Sahara" | Foals | Nominated |
| 2012 | Ed Sheeran | "The A Team" | Ed Sheeran | Won |
| 2012 | Adele, Paul Epworth | "Rolling in the Deep" | Adele | Nominated |
| 2012 | Paul Epworth, Kid Harpoon, Florence Welch | "Shake It Out" | Florence + the Machine | Nominated |
| 2013 | Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze, Anup Paul, Emeli Sandé | "Next to Me" | Emeli Sandé | Won |
| 2013 | Natasha Khan, Justin Parker | "Laura" | Bat for Lashes | Nominated |
| 2013 | Iain Archer, Jake Bugg | "Two Fingers" | Jake Bugg | Nominated |
| 2014 | Dominic Major, Hannah Reid, Daniel Rothman | "Strong" | London Grammar | Won |
| 2014 | Will Doyle, Sam Fryer, Chilli Jesson, Pete Mayhew | "Best of Friends" | Palma Violets | Nominated |
| 2014 | John Newman, Steve Booker | "Love Me Again" | John Newman | Nominated |
| 2015 | Andrew Hozier-Byrne | "Take Me to Church" | Hozier | Won |
| 2015 | Andrew Davie | "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" | Bear's Den | Nominated |
| 2015 | Ben Howard | "I Forget Where We Were" | Ben Howard | Nominated |
| 2016 | Jamie Lawson | "Wasn't Expecting That" | Jamie Lawson | Won |
| 2016 | Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Amir Izadkhah, Gary Lightbody, Johnny McDaid, Leon Rolle, Ed Sheeran | "Bloodstream" | Ed Sheeran | Nominated |
| 2016 | Ellie Rowsell | "Bros" | Wolf Alice | Nominated |
| 2017 | Dean 'Inflo' Joisah Cover, Michael Kiwanuka | "Black Man in a White World" | Michael Kiwanuka | Won |
| 2017 | Laura Mvula, Nile Rodgers | "Overcome" | Laura Mvula | Nominated |
| 2017 | Blaine Harrison, Henry Harrison | "Telomere" | Mystery Jets | Nominated |
| 2018 | Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter, Pete Turner | "Magnificent (She Says)" | Elbow | Won |
| 2018 | Jonathan Higgs, Jeremy Pritchard, Alex Robertshaw, Michael Spearman | "Can't Do" | Everything Everything | Nominated |
| 2018 | Sampha | "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" | Sampha | Nominated |
| 2019 | Ben Howard | "Nica Libres at Dusk" | Ben Howard | Won |
| 2019 | Alex Turner | "Four Out of Five" | Arctic Monkeys | Nominated |
| 2019 | Andrew Hozier-Byrne | "Nina Cried Power" | Hozier | Nominated |

### 2020s

List of award nominees and winners for the 2020s :
| Year | Songwriter(s) | Song | Performing artist(s) | Result |
| 2020 | Jamie Cullum | "Age of Anxiety" | Jamie Cullum | Won |
| 2020 | MJ Cole, Jimmy Napes, Stormzy | "Crown" | Stormzy | Nominated |
| 2020 | Sam Fender | "Dead Boys" | Sam Fender | Nominated |
| 2021 | Barney Lister, Obongjayar | "God's Own Children" | Obongjayar | Won |
| 2021 | Gianluca Buccellati, Arlo Parks | "Black Dog" | Arlo Parks | Nominated |
| 2021 | Headie One, Fred again... | "Gang" | Headie One and Fred again... | Nominated |
| 2021 | Marina Diamandis | "Man's World" | Marina | Nominated |
| 2021 | Celeste and Jamie Hartman | "Stop This Flame" | (Celeste) | Nominated |
| 2022 | Sam Fender | "Seventeen Going Under" | Sam Fender | Won |
| 2022 | Adele, Greg Kurstin | "Easy on Me" | Adele | Nominated |
| 2022 | Mike Elzondo, Natalie Hemby, Ben Jackson-Cook, Rag'n'Bone Man | "All You Ever Wanted" | Rag'n'Bone Man | Nominated |
| 2022 | Sarah Aarons, Holly Humberstone, Rob Milton | "Haunted House" | Holly Humberstone | Nominated |
| 2022 | Ella Henderson, Ben Kohn, Pete "Merf" Kelleher, Tom "Froe" Barnes, James Arthur | "Let's Go Home Together" | Ella Henderson featuring Tom Grennan | Nominated |
| 2023 | Jack Antonoff and Florence Welch | "King" | Florence + The Machine | Won |
| 2023 | Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles | "As It Was" | Harry Styles | Nominated |
| 2023 | Laurie Blundell and Tom Odell | "Best Day of My Life" | Tom Odell | Nominated |
| 2023 | Katie Gregson-MacLeod | "Complex" | Katie Gregson-MacLeod | Nominated |
| 2023 | Dean "Inflo" Josiah Cover and Cleopatra Nikolic | "Stronger" | SAULT | Nominated |