Ivor Novello Awards 2018: Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Sampha among nominees

Prize recognises achievements in British and Irish songwriting

Stormzy's album Gang Signs & Prayer has been nominated for an Ivor Novello award (Getty)

BASCA in association with PRS for Music has announced its nominees for the 63rd Ivor Novello Awards, with Stormzy, Sampha, Ed Sheeran, Everything Everything and Rag'n'Bone Man among those tipped for the annual songwriting prize.

Presented and judged by music creators, the Ivors aim to represent "the pinnacle of musical achievement and peer recognition".

Works eligible for this year's awards were commercially released in the UK in 2017, and have a British or Irish songwriting contribution of at least one third.

BASCA chair Crispin Hunt commented: "BASCA's nominations for the 2018 Ivor Novello Awards are, as ever, a mirror of the eclectic and inspirational reach of current UK music. The Ivors' purpose is to recognise and celebrate excellence in British and Irish music writing across Song, Album, Television, Film, and this year, Video Games.

"As the only peer nominated music award ceremony in the country, the Ivors are inherently about musical merit and communication more than promotion, and we're especially excited to be able to honour some of the phenomenal talents of the contemporary British music writing scene. Talent admired the whole world over. Our congratulations go out to everyone nominated today, it's fully deserved."

Here are the nominations in full:

BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY

"Can’t Do" - Written by Jonathan Higgs, Jeremy Pritchard, Alex Robertshaw and Michael Spearman / Performed by Everything Everything / Published in the UK by Black Butter Music Publishing – BMG

"Magnificent (She Says)" - Written by Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter and Pete Turner / Performed by Elbow / Published in the UK by Salvation Music Ltd - Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd

"(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" - Written by Sampha / Performed by Sampha / Published in the UK by Beggars Music - Young Turks Music

BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG

"Cola" - Written by Michael di Scala, Alexander Kotz AKA Elderbrook and Dave Whelan / Performed by CamelPhat and Elderbrook / Published in the UK by Defected Music Ltd and Black Butter Music Publishing – BMG

"Don’t Cry For Me" - Written by Michael 'Stormzy' Omari, Varren Wade and Wizzy Wow / Performed by Stormzy ft. Raleigh Ritchie / Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Ltd, Bucks Music Group and Wardlaw Music

"Question Time" - Written by Dave and Fraser T Smith / Performed by Dave / Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Ltd and Kobalt Music Publishing

PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK

"Castle on the Hill" - Written by Benny Blanco and Ed Sheeran / Performed by Ed Sheeran / Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Ed Sheeran Limited - Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd

"Human" - Written by Jamie Hartman and Rag ΄n΄ Bone Man / Performed by Rag ΄n΄ Bone Man / Published in the UK by Reservoir Reverb Music and Warner/Chappell Music Ltd

"Shape of You" - Written by Steve Mac, Johnny McDaid and Ed Sheeran / Performed by Ed Sheeran / Published in the UK by Rokstone Music - Universal Music Publishing, Spirit B-Unique - Polar Patrol and Ed Sheeran Limited - Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd

ALBUM AWARD

A Fever Dream - Written by Jonathan Higgs, Jeremy Pritchard, Alex Robertshaw and Michael Spearman / Performed by Everything Everything / Published in the UK by Black Butter Music Publishing - BMG

Gang Signs & Prayer - Written by Michael 'Stormzy' Omari / Performed by Stormzy / Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Ltd

Moonshine Freeze - Written by Kate Stables / Performed by This is the Kit / Published in the UK by Beggars Music - 4AD Songs

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE

IT - Composed by Benjamin Wallfisch / Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing

Jackie - Composed by Mica Levi / Published in the UK by Beggars Music

Paddington 2 - Composed by Dario Marianelli / Published in the UK by Studiocanal

BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK

Babs - Composed by Rob Lane - Published in the UK by Du Vinage Publishing

SS-GB - Composed by Dan Jones / Published in the UK by Faber Music and Universal Music Publishing

The Miniaturist - Composed by Dan Jones / Published in the UK by Faber Music

BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice - Composed by David Garcia Diaz and Andy LaPlegua

Horizon Zero Dawn - Composed by Joris de Man, Joe Henson and Alexis Smith

Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Composed by Igor Haefeli and Elena Tonra / Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing

The winners will be announced for each category at the ceremony hosted by Paul Gambaccini, at Grosvenor House in London on Thursday 31 May 2018.

In addition to the above categories, BASCA will also present the following awards: The Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection, PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music, PRS for Music Special International Award, the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, The Ivors Classical Music Award and The Ivors Inspiration Award.