Kate Tempest scores first Ivors nominations for The Book of Traps and Lessons

Kate Tempest, Dan Carey, Jimmy Napes and Jamie Hartman lead the nominations for The Ivors.

The songwriters all have double nominations at the 2020 ceremony, which is dominated by rap and spoken word.

The nominations recognise works written by British and Irish songwriters and composers that were released in the UK in 2019.

Tempest and Carey are recognised in the best album category for Tempest’s record The Book of Traps and Lessons, alongside Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Ghosteen, which was written by Cave and Warren Ellis, and Little Simz’s album Grey Area, penned by the rapper and Inflo.

Tempest and Carey are also recognised in the best contemporary song category for Tempest’s track Firesmoke and will compete with Dave’s lead single from debut album Psychodrama, Black, and J Hus’s Must Be.

The best song musically and lyrically category features nominations for Jamie Cullum for Age of Anxiety and Sam Fender for Dead Boys, as well as Stormzy for Crown, alongside his co-writers Jimmy Napes and MJ Cole.

The nominees for PRS for Music most performed work are Sam Smith’s Dancing with a Stranger, co-written with Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Jimmy Napes, Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s Giant, written with Jamie Hartman and Troy Miller and Lewis Capaldi’s Hold Me While You Wait, written with Jamie N Commons and Hartman.

Celebrating her first Ivor nominations, Tempest said: “Feels great to be nominated! Writing Traps and Lessons was such a beautiful and confusing process!

“I was trying to crack a code and establish new pathways for my ideas to flow down. It’s special for me because of the effort that went in to embracing an unknown form and facing the challenges that came along with that.

“I’m very happy that Firesmoke has been nominated. I love that song. It’s exciting that this nomination will give it some space to shine. I feel blessed to be recognised in this way.

“Music is my first love, of all the forms I work in it’s the one that glows warmest in my heart. Being recognised as a song writer is huge for me. I’m buzzing.

“Although I’m gutted I don’t get to wear a tux and drink champagne all night! Whatever the outcome I’m full of grateful joy for the acknowledgement.”

Crispin Hunt, chairman of The Ivors Academy, said: “Our judges have recognised extraordinary works that reflect on all aspects of the human experience and demonstrate the power and importance of music, in all its forms.

“Everything begins with the creativity of the songwriter or composer, and this is the building block on which our industry rests. That is why these awards are so important because they celebrate this craft and talent.

“It is also fantastic to see nearly half of those recognised today nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for the very first time. Congratulations to everyone.”

The winners will be announced on September 2.