GHETTS, KOJEY RADICAL & JORJA SMITH NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS IVOR NOVELLO AWARD

GHETTS, KOJEY RADICAL & JORJA SMITH NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS

IVOR NOVELLO AWARD

GHETTS, KOJEY RADICAL & JORJA SMITH NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS IVOR NOVELLO AWARD

The prestigious Ivor Novello Awards have just announced their nominations for this year and among the nominees are Ghetts, Kojey Radical and Jorja Smith.

Ghetts and Kojey Radical have been nominated in the ‘Best Contemporary Song’ category for their powerful collaboration “Black Rose”, taken from Ghetts’ Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament album.

Jorja Smith is also in the running for ‘Best Contemporary Song’ for her efforts on her popular single, “Blue Lights”.

Socially-conscious songs by Ghetts, The 1975 and Jorja Smith lead the nominees for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards.

All three are up for best contemporary song, with lyrics that address issues from stop and search to sexual abuse.

Ghetts’ Black Rose looks at the ways in which society disrespects black women, while Smith’s Blue Lights was written about distrust of the police.

The 1975’s Love It If We Made It, meanwhile, tackles Donald Trump, the opioid crisis, trolling and fake news.

“Modernity has failed us,” concludes singer-songwriter Matty Healy in the lyrics. “But I’d love it if we made it.”

He told lyrics website Genius: “It’s the gem of hope amongst all of the rubble. I didn’t want to do a protest song. I wanted to be introspective but not so much like my diary.”

Ghetts said his track was inspired by his six-year-old daughter, who can be heard at the beginning of the track asking: “Daddy, how come there’s no dolls that look like me in the shop?”

The Ivor Novello Awards recognise achievement in songwriting and, while they have a lower profile than the Brit Awards or Mercury Prize, are highly coveted by musicians.

Other nominees this year include George Ezra, Rudimental and Hozier, while the best album category recognises innovative records by Young Fathers, Let’s Eat Grandma and Idles.

Organisers hailed the “brilliantly diverse” range of songwriting talent in the UK, noting that 70% of this year’s nominees were being recognised for the first time.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on 23 May.

Click here to view the full list of nominees for the 2019 Ivors.