Shostakovich gets Ivor Novello songwriting award nomination for Plan B hit Ill Manors
See the Ivor Novello nominations in full, below
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Your support makes all the difference.During his lifetime Dmitri Shostakovich was awarded the Stalin prize in Arts and named a Hero of Socialist Labour.
Now the Russian composer will battle indie band Alt-J for a prestigious Ivor Novello award after the incorporation of his Seventh Symphony into a chart hit by Plan B was nominated for last year’s Best Contemporary Song.
"Ill Manors", Plan B’s furious response to the 2011 riots, featured a sample of the fourth movement of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7.
The Russian’s stirring composition, premiered in 1942 and dedicated to the citizens of Leningrad, was adopted as a symbol of his countrymen’s heroic struggle against a relentless German bombardment during the War.
In the hands of Plan B, the stage name of London rapper and songwriter Ben Drew, its “marching” string motif provided the propulsive backing for his scathing attack on the Coalition and the demonisation of disaffected urban youth which he believes provoked the riots.
Shostakovich was credited by the Novellos as co-songwriter of the top ten hit, alongside Drew and four other collaborators.
"Ill Manors" competes against "Fitzpleasure" by Mercury music prize winners Alt-J and "Pelican" by Brighton rock band The Maccabees.
Although Shostakovich, who died in 1975, received a number of honours from the Soviet government, including the Lenin prize and the Order of the October Revolution, he enjoyed a turbulent relationship with the Kremlin.
His compositions were denounced as “formalist” by Soviet officials in the late 1930s and his 8th Symphony was unofficially banned. He was rehabilitated when he finally joined the Communist Party in 1960.
Plan B, who like Shostakovich has turned his skills to soundtrack composition, receives a second nomination for Best Original Film Score for Ill Manors, the big-screen version of his “hip-hop musical”, which reached number one.
Emeli Sandé’s success looks to set to continue after she was nominated for two awards.
The Brit award-winning singer’s hit, "Next To Me", is in the running to be named best song musically and lyrically after it was shortlisted along with Laura by Bat For Lashes.
Newcomer Jake Bugg, the teenage singer-songwriter from Nottingham boasting a Dylan-esque sneer, also competes in this category with "Two Fingers".
Sandé is also nominated for the Most Performed Work prize for "Next To Me". Alt-J also received a second nomination for the album award, for their debut An Awesome Wave.
The annual awards - in their 58th year - are highly prized because they are voted for by songwriters and composers.
They will be handed out at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House hotel in central London on Thursday May 16.
Ivor Novello Award nominations:
- Best Song Musically and Lyrically
Laura
Written by Natasha Khan and Justin Parker
Performed by Bat for Lashes
Next to Me
Written by Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze, Anup Paul and Emeli Sandé
Performed by Emeli Sandé
Two Fingers
Written by Iain Archer and Jake Bugg
Performed by Jake Bugg
- Best Contemporary Song
Fitzpleasure
Written by Thomas Green, Joe Newman, Gwilym Sainsbury and Augustus Unger-Hamilton
Performed by alt-J
Ill Manors
Written by Pierre Baigorry, David Conen, Benjamin Drew, Vincent Graf-Schlippenbach, Dmitri Shostakovich and Al Shux
Performed by Plan B
Pelican
Written by Sam Doyle, Rupert Jarvis, Orlando Weeks, Felix White and Hugo White
Performed by The Maccabees
- PRS for Music Most Performed Work
Dance With Me Tonight
Written by Claude Kelly, Oliver Murs and Steve Robson
Performed by Olly Murs
Next to Me
Written by Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze, Anup Paul and Emeli Sandé
Performed by Emeli Sandé
Paradise
Written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin and Brian Eno
Performed by Coldplay
- Album Award
An Awesome Wave
Written by Thomas Green, Joe Newman, Gwilym Sainsbury and Augustus Unger-Hamilton
Performed by alt-J
Every Kingdom
Written by Ben Howard
Performed by Ben Howard
Is Your Love Big Enough?
Written by Lianne Barnes and Matthew Hales
Performed by Lianne La Havas
- Best Original Film Score
Anna Karenina
Composed by Dario Marianelli
Dr Seuss’ The Lorax
Composed by John Powell
Ill Manors
Composed by Benjamin Drew and Al Shux
- Best Television Soundtrack
Lucian Freud: Painted Life
Composed by John Harle
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Composed by John Lunn
Upstairs Downstairs Series 2
Composed by Carl Davis
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