Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically

The Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically is an award given every year by the Ivors Academy at the Ivor Novello Awards. The award is given for good songwriting and composing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The award was first given in 1968. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the first people to win it for their song "She's Leaving Home", performed by The Beatles. The award goes to the writers of the song, not the people who sing or play it unless they share songwriting credits.

People who have been given the award
1960s
  19681969 

+List of award nominees and winners for the 1960s Year Songwriter(s) Song Performing artist(s) Result Ref. 1968 John Lennon, Paul McCartney "She's Leaving Home"  The Beatles  Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent "Don't Sleep in the Subway" Petula Clark  1969 colspan="4" 

1970s
  1970197119721973197419751976197719781979 

+List of award nominees and winners for the 1970s Year Songwriter(s) Song Performing artist(s) Result Ref. 1970 Peter Sarstedt "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?"  Peter Sarstedt  1971 George Harrison "Something" The Beatles   1972 Hurricane Smith "Don't Let It Die"  Hurricane Smith   1973 Tom Evans and Peter Ham '"Without You"  Badfinger   1974 Elton John and Bernie Taupin '"Daniel"  Elton John   1975 Ralph McTell "Streets of London"  Ralph McTell   1976 colspan="4"  1977 colspan="4"  1978 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" Julie Covington  Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb "How Deep Is Your Love" Bee Gees  John Farrar, Hank Marvin, Don Black"Sam" Olivia Newton-John  1979 Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street"  Gerry Rafferty   Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow "Can't Smile Without You"  The Carpenters  Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" Kate Bush 

1980s
  1980198119821983198419851986198719881989 

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

1990s
  1990199119921993199419951996199719981999 

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

2000s
  2000200120022003200420052006200720082009 

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

2010s
  2010201120122013201420152016201720182019 

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

2020s
  2020202120222023 

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

References

Other websites
 Oficial awards website
 Ivor Awards archive