Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, Lola Young and Coldplay are among the nominees for the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards.

The annual ceremony recognizes and honors songwriters from across the U.K. music industry. 2026’s ceremony will take place in London on May 21 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel. Presented by The Ivors Academy, one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe, the prizes are judged by songwriters and composers.

Dean is a first-time nominee at the Ivors, with The Art of Loving nominated in the best album category and hit single “Man I Need” nominated in the PRS’ most performed work category.

Wolf Alice and Jacob Alon also both score two nominations across the categories, as does Self Esteem with her co-writer Johan Hugo, and Kae Tempest with his collaborator Fraser T Smith.

The best album category will be competed by Dean’s LP, Jim Legxacy’s Black British Music, CMAT’s Euro-Country, Wolf Alice’s The Clearing and Lily Allen’s West End Girl. In 2025, Trinidadian rapper BERWYN collected the prize for his debut LP Who Am I.

Songs by Gorillaz, Little Simz, Self Esteem and two by Kae Tempest will juke it out for the best contemporary song title. In the best song musically and lyrically category – which celebrates a song that demonstrates exceptional songwriting craft and original creativity – tracks by Jacob Alon, Florence + The Machine, Self Esteem, Wolf Alice and Sugababes will compete for the title.

PRS’ most performed work prize is awarded to the songs that “resonated with the public in 2025” and which received the “most broadcast, online and general performances, according to the relevant data supplied” to the collecting society. 

Songs competing in that field are “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean; “Messy” by Lola Young; “Stargazing” by Myles Smith; “The Days” by Chrystal; and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. The latter received a boost following the conclusion of the band’s Music of the Spheres world tour and its 10-night residency at Wembley Stadium.

Jacob Alon, Skye Newman, Kwan, Chloe Qisha and Divorce are all nominated for the rising star trophy. At the 2026 BRITs in February, both Alon and Newman were nominated for the equivalent Critics’ Choice, with the former collecting the prize.

Elsewhere scores for film and television will also compete in their own categories. 61 individual British and Irish songwriters are recognized in total, with 34 doing so for the first time.

First awarded in 1956, previous winners include Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Adele, RAYE, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Lana Del Rey, Lou Reed and Elton John. In 2025, U2 was recognized with the highest honor and inducted into the Academy Fellowship.

The Ivors have also confirmed that a number of songwriters will be recognised with the Gift of the Academy prize in honor of their lasting contributions to music. These prizes will be revealed on the night.

See the full list of nominees below.

Best album

Black British Music, written by Jim Legxacy and Joe Stanley, performed by Jim Legxacy. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing

Euro-Country, written and performed by CMAT. Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK.

The Art of Loving, written by Olivia Dean, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang, performed by Olivia Dean. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing obo Goldfish Records and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Alveron Music.

The Clearing, written by Joff Oddie and Ellie Rowsell, performed by Wolf Alice. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing.

West End Girl, written by Lily Allen, Chloe Angelides, Kito and Blue May, performed by Lily Allen. Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing obo Chloe Angelides Publishing-Where Da Kasz At and BMG Rights Management UK.

Best contemporary song

“Damascus,” written by Damon Albarn, Yasiin Bey and Omar Souleyman performed by Gorillaz feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Pop-Up Music Publishing and Domino Publishing Company 

“Free,” written by Alex Bonfanti, Miles Clinton James and Little Simz performed by Little Simz. Music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing

“I Do and I Don’t Care,” written by Johan Hugo and Self Esteem performed by Self Esteem. Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Reservoir Media Management obo Blue Raincoat Music Publishing

“I Stand on The Line,” written by Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest performed by Kae Tempest. Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Domino Publishing Company

“Know Yourself,” written by Tom Rowlands, Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest performed by Kae Tempest. Music published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK, Warner Chappell Music and Domino Publishing Company

Best song musically and lyrically

“Don’t Fall Asleep,” written and performed by Jacob Alon. Music published in the UK by Concord Music Publishing.

“Everybody Scream,” written by Mark Bowen, Mitski and Florence Welch, performed by Florence + The Machine. Music published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music obo Songs by Mitski Publishing and Universal Music Publishing obo Florence + The Machine Ltd.

“Focus is Power,” written by Johan Hugo, Self Esteem and Jacob Vetter, performed by Self Esteem. Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music, Reservoir Media Management obo Blue Raincoat Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing obo TruSauce Pub Co.

“The Sofa,” written by Ellie Rowsell, performed by Wolf Alice. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing.

“Weeds,” written by Tove Burman, Anya Jones and Jon Shave, performed by Sugababes. Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music obo MXM Music and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Spirit Music Group.

PRS For Music most performed work

“Man I Need,” written by Olivia Dean, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Zach Nahome, performed by Olivia Dean. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Concord Music Publishing

“Messy,” written and performed by Lola Young. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing

“Stargazing,” written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith, performed by Myles Smith. Music published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Songs by 308 Publishing-Where Da Kasz At, Lyric Global Copyright Services Crescendo obo Arcade Artists Publishing-Jesse Fink Publishing-Spirit One Music Crescendo and Sony Music Publishing

“The Days,” written and performed by Chrystal. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing

“Viva La Vida,” written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin, performed by Coldplay. Music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing

Rising star with Amazon Music

Chloe Qisha

Divorce (Tiger Cohen-Towell, Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, Adam Peter-Smith and Kasper Sandstrøm)

Jacob Alon

Kwn 

Skye Newman

Best original film score

Bugonia, composed by Jerskin Fendrix. Music published in the UK by Universal/MCA Music Ltd obo Focus-Gramercy Music.

Dragonfly, composed by Raffertie. Music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing.

Nosferatu, composed by Robin Carolan. Music published in the UK by Universal/MCA Music Ltd obo Focus-Gramercy Music.

Testimony, composed by Tom Hodge. Music published in the UK by Bucks Music Group obo Rocliffe Ltd.

The Brutalist, composed by Daniel Blumberg. Music published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music.

Best television soundtrack

Adolescence, composed by Aaron May and David Ridley. Music published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK obo Maisie Anthems

Lazarus, composed by Sarah Warne. Music published in the UK by Universal/MCA Music Ltd obo Amazon Content Services.

Summerwater, composed by Gazelle Twin. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and District 6 Music Publishing Ltd.

This City is Ours, composed by Rael Jones. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Twenty Fifteen Avenue Music Inc.

Trespasses, composed by David Holmes and Brian Irvine. Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo All3media International.

BTS’s livestreamed comeback concert captured 18.4 million global viewers on Netflix, the streaming giant reports.

The one-hour show was beamed out from the superstar boyband’s performance Saturday (March 21) in their native Seoul, South Korea, an event that marked the first time all seven members had performed together since October 2022.

Some 100,000 members of BTS’ ARMY were watching on at the historic Gwanghwamun Square, as RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook showcased their latest album ARIRANG, which dropped on the previous day, on Friday.

The Netflix special nabbed top spot in 24 countries, according to a statement, and cracked the weekly top 10 in 80 countries. To-date, the campaign has reached 2.62 billion global social impressions just on Netflix’s own channels.

On the same day as the show, Spotify announced that ARIRANG, the boy band’s first album in six years, had become the platform’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2026 so far. The release also set a new record as the most-streamed K-pop album in Spotify history.

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BTS last released a full-length album in 2020, when Be debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, before members of the split off to fulfill mandatory military service and pursue solo ventures.

It’s full steam ahead for the superstar septet, which  will soon fill stadiums around the globe for their largest world tour yet, touching down in 34 regions throughout 2026 and 2027.

But first, BTS have touched down in the United States for promotional activities in support of ARIRANG. After answering fan questions and performing at a Spotify event in New York City, the septet will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on consecutive nights. RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will sit down with Fallon for a group chat and a performance on Wednesday (March 25), and return the following evening for another performance from ARIRANG.

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Netflix is going all-in with The Bangtan Boys. This Friday, March 27, the streaming platform exclusively rollouts out BTS: The Return, a new documentary about the making of ARIRANG which is said to offer an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes” look at the pop singers.  

The long-awaited return of BTS could provide HYBE with a massive financial boost in 2026, with Billboard estimate that  the new album and tour could generate more than $1 billion in revenue from concerts, merchandise & licensing, album sales and streaming over a 12-month period. 

Kroi released their first new song of 2026, “Kinetic.” The song was produced by Incognito’s Bluey, who Kroi’s members are longtime fans of.

Billboard JAPAN had the opportunity to sit down with Kroi and Bluey during his visit to Japan. The roundtable discussion shed light on the powerful bonds that developed between these artists through the process of creating music together.

What led to this collaboration?

Uchida: Last year, we performed in The Great Escape, and someone floated the idea that since we were going all the way to London, we should record there. Until now, we’d never written music together with a producer, so we wanted to work with local artists or producers in the UK. I shot my shot and said “I want to work with Bluey!” I figured it would be impossible, but he accepted.

So you were a big fan of Bluey from the start?

Uchida: A huge fan. All of us love Incognito. They’re what got me into music in the first place, so I was so happy when he said okay. Being here together, talking like this? It’s like a dream.

How was it when you jammed together in the UK?

Chiba: It was the first time we’d ever had someone produce us, and it was so much fun. Normally, we would have to decide on each and every thing ourselves, but when working with Bluey, he’d tell us if there was something missing, and he’d give suggestions. We knew we could rely on him. It was a wonderful experience. We were in the studio together for about three days, and every morning, when we got together, Bluey would take us to a café next to the studio. He’d have a salad, and we’d have sandwiches and coffee. Through that time together, we built even stronger bonds than we would have through the music creation process alone. We got to know each other and become friends. It was a truly precious experience.

Bluey: Before they arrived, I was already at the café, standing there waiting for them. My friend asked me “How are you going to know it’s them?” I said “I think I’ll know when their car gets here.” So the car arrives, and they get out, and they look like characters right out of an anime (laughs). We didn’t go straight into the studio, but first went to a café, and we hit it off right away.

Masuda, do you have any memories of the meeting?

Masuda: Bluey’s a legend, so I was really nervous, and I was worried about whether I’d be able to play well in front of him. But the minute we went in, he said “who’s the drummer?” And I said “I am.” And he immediately ordered these sandwiches.

What about you, Hasebe?

Hasebe: I started taking guitar lessons back in junior high school, and when I was practicing strumming, my guitar teacher assigned me Incognito’s “Colibri” to practice on. That’s where I first heard Incognito. I was incredibly nervous playing guitar in front of the man himself during the recording, but it was so much fun. And it was so moving being able to play in Bluey’s own studio, “Colibri Sound Recorders.”

Bluey: The engineer, Mo (Mo Hausler), played a huge role in the studio. When you work with musicians like them, who’ve got really sharp, unique vibes, you need an engineer with a feeling of transparency. Transparency about whether everything’s being recorded in full, whether you’re spending too much time on it, whether you’re able to quickly record the best sounds. That transparency really brought out what we did when we played together.

This song feels a little different than most Kroi songs. There’s a freshness to it.

Uchida: Right, it has a bit of an Incognito sound to it, but we were the ones who wrote and played the music, so the song’s sound is really a fusion of the Kroi and Incognito sounds, which is great.

Bluey: I’m glad to have been part of their journey. But I’m just one little part of it. The biggest part is that they’re all wonderful musicians in their own rights, and they were able to come together to discover the shared sound of Kroi. They all believe in Leo’s songwriting, and Leo believes in their playing and their ability to communicate with the audience. They find strength in each other. They know what each of the others is capable of, and they bring out the best in each other.

I get the feeling that this collaboration connected you to each other at a deeper level and really built bonds of trust.

Uchida: We were together with Bluey for three full days, communicating a lot like this. And I felt so much love around Bluey. João (João Caetano), who laid down some percussion, also had a lot of love and respect for Bluey, so we got along really well. Everyone was drawn in by that aura of love around him. He attracts some truly wonderful performers, and I’m glad that we were able to number among them.

The way the song starts with Bluey’s voice was also very unique.

Uchida: Right. Bluey was recording the backing chorus, and we got him to record that intro for us on short notice.

Bluey: They seemed so happy, I was truly glad to be able to be involved in the process. That’s why I asked for them to let me introduce myself, for my own audience. What we’re doing right now isn’t just the work we did in the studio. We’ve started something that’s going to keep on going. I want Incognito fans around the world know that I’ve worked with Kroi. I was glad to be able to start the track by saying “Bluey from Incognito here.” That was my way of saying “Thanks.”

To wrap things up, Uchida, could you share your feelings on the creation of “Kinetic”?

Uchida: With the decision to make the song in London, I also wanted it to be the embodiment of the music we wanted to create. Making it together with Bluey felt like going back to my roots, but at the same time evolving. Now I know that was the right decision. What Bluey was talking about before was what we felt when we listened to Incognito’s music. That’s why we grooved so well when we finally met. Not everyone in the band speaks English, but we all broke out in laughs and smiles. When that happened, I truly understood that the energy that comes from music really shapes and guides people. I realized that we were on the right path, and that was truly the best thing about the whole experience.

Bluey: Maybe they thought they’d be working with Doraemon. After all, he’s blue-y too (laughs).

—This interview by Tomohiro Ogawa first appeared on Billboard Japan

While Carmit Bachar may not know why she wasn’t invited to the Pussycat Dolls‘ upcoming reunion tour, original member Jessica Sutta is pretty sure she knows exactly why she was left out.

In the latest episode of The Maverick Approach podcast, Sutta reveals to host Maverick Bailey why she believes she was not given the opportunity to return to the girl group this year.

“I aligned with Bobby Kennedy, which is aligned with MAGA,” Sutta said, adding, “I was a liability,” and calling the reunion a “cash grab.” Sutta shared that she previously didn’t identify as political but became so because her “life depended on it.”

In a 2025 interview with Daily Mail, Sutta shared that she suffered a “debilitating” injury that she attributes to the COVID-19 vaccine. Ultimately, this is what led to her connection to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom she campaigned for during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. On the podcast, Sutta expresses that while she does not agree with everything President Trump does, because she feels strongly about health secretary RFK Jr. and his policies, she owns the MAGA label — even in the face of backlash.

“People are screaming at me, ‘You’re MAGA, You’re MAGA,’” she says. “Yeah, I am MAGA. I triple down on it because I’m sick of people telling me who I should be.”

This is not the first time Sutta has spoken out about the reunion. In the days following the band’s big announcement, she took to her Instagram with a length statement saying that she learned about the reunion right before it was made public, and that she “didn’t have much time to prepare for the reaction that followed online.”

“And if we are really being honest, you can’t trip on what’s behind you,” she concludes in her caption. “Good luck, ladies.”

Sutta is not the only member of the girl group to be excluded from the reunion event. After The Pussycat Dolls announced the three-person tour and released their new single, “Club Song,” Carmit Bachar took to Instagram to share that she did not know the reunion was happening.

“I was not contacted regarding the group’s decision to move forward, and I learned of these plans at the same time as the public,” Bachar wrote in the caption to her post. Ultimately, she’s decided to move on and focus on her well-being and upcoming projects.

The original six-piece lineup of Pussycat Dolls comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt, Ashley Roberts, Melody Thornton, Bachar and Sutta, with only Scherzinger, Wyatt and Roberts returning for the reunion. Though Bachar and Sutta — who were included in PCD’s 2020 reunion — have expressed their feelings on being excluded, Thornton — who hasn’t been part of the group since 2010 — has yet to speak out publicly.

Korea’s music industry is fighting back against artificial intelligence with an unprecedented show of unity. On Feb. 26, six major music rights organizations launched the K-Music Rights Organization Mutual Growth Committee in Seoul, warning that the next 24 months will determine whether Korean creators survive the AI revolution.

“The next two years are the golden time that will decide the life or death of Korea’s music industry,” committee chair Lee Si-ha said at the launch event. “Individual responses from separate organizations can’t stop this massive wave of change. The entire industry must stand together.”

The coalition includes the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), Korea Music Content Association, Korea Music Performers Federation, Korea Recording Industry Association, Korea Entertainment Producers Association and the Together Music Copyright Association. Together, they represent virtually every stakeholder in Korea’s domestic music ecosystem.

The groups adopted an “AI-Era Music Rights Declaration” demanding three core protections: a ban on AI training without creator consent, mandatory transparency in AI generation processes and clear legal distinctions between human-created and AI-generated works.

Korea has already felt AI’s impact firsthand. When KOMCA discovered that trot singer Hong Jin-young’s hit “Love Is 24 Hours” was composed by GIST professor Ahn Chang-wook’s AI program EvoM, the organization froze royalty payments for the AI-created songs in July 2022. EvoM had generated 300,000 compositions over six years, selling 30,000 tracks and earning 600 million won in revenue.

The legal reasoning was stark: Korea’s Copyright Act defines creative works as “creations expressing human thoughts or emotions.” If AI is the creator, there’s no legal basis for royalty payments.

That 2022 controversy became the flashpoint for Korea’s AI music rights debate. It exposed a fundamental problem: AI was already producing music consumed by millions, but the law hadn’t caught up.

The core issue is training data. Generative AI systems learn from millions of existing recordings to create new music, typically without obtaining permission from original rights holders. The result can unconsciously mimic existing melodies and styles.

Another legal gap compounds the problem. Under Korean law, a singer’s voice itself isn’t defined as a copyrightable work. Even when AI cover creators illegally clone famous K-pop idols’ voices, existing performer rights protections can’t effectively stop the flood of unauthorized content online.

K-pop artists face the heaviest burden. A 2023 Security Hero report found that Korean singers and actresses make up 53% of the individuals featured in deepfake pornographic content worldwide. Eight of the top 10 individual targets were Korean female singers.

The global exposure K-pop acts like BTS, NewJeans and BLACKPINK have achieved has paradoxically made them prime targets for AI-generated fake content. Voice synthesis technology has advanced to the point where fans say they “can’t tell who’s real anymore” when AI cover songs flood YouTube.

HYBE has responded by acquiring AI voice startup Supertone for 45 billion won, taking a 56.1 percent controlling stake. The message is clear: Korea’s biggest entertainment companies are internalizing AI voice technology rather than waiting for regulations to catch up.

Globally, the music industry’s approach has evolved from early litigation toward negotiation and licensing. In June 2024, the three major labels — Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music — jointly sued AI music startups Udio and Suno, alleging that both platforms trained their models on copyrighted recordings without permission. Through late 2025, the major labels reached varying settlements and licensing arrangements with these platforms as the industry shifted toward seeking structured commercial relationships with AI companies rather than relying solely on the courts.

The shift from courtroom battles to conference room deals signals that major labels see coexistence with AI as inevitable. The legal conclusions, however, remain unwritten.

KOMCA has moved faster than most of its global counterparts. As of March 24, 2025, all new music registrations require a signed statement certifying that “AI was not used and the work consists solely of human creative contributions.” False statements can trigger legal liability, royalty freezes and removal of works from the database.

The policy doesn’t ban all AI use. KOMCA’s official position is that works created “100 percent by AI” cannot be registered. But if AI served as an assistive tool while the human creator’s core contribution remains clear, copyright protection may still apply.

This aligns with guidance from the World Intellectual Property Organization, which stated in a 2024 report that “AI-centric creations are difficult to protect under current copyright frameworks.”

The newly formed committee plans to build a blockchain-based unified infrastructure to track AI-generated and distributed music data. The system aims to connect international standard identification codes used for musical works and sound recordings with content identification systems used by major platforms, creating auditable records of AI training pathways.

This integrated data structure aims to increase copyright tracking transparency and create auditable records of AI training pathways.

The question now is whether regulatory frameworks can match the pace of technological change. Korea experienced the cost of legal gaps through the EvoM case. KOMCA’s proactive policy and the solidarity committee’s launch position Korea among the fastest-moving nations on AI music governance.

Yet structural gaps remain, including inadequate legal protections for vocal identity, unclear standards for determining whether AI-created works qualify as copyrightable and limited enforcement mechanisms against platforms hosting unauthorized AI covers.

Whether this industry-wide coalition can move beyond declarations to meaningful institutional reform and technical defenses will become clear within the next two years. The countdown has begun.

This story was originally published by Billboard Korea.