 | This articlecontainspromotional content. Please helpimprove it by removingpromotional language and inappropriateexternal links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from aneutral point of view.(March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | |
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1944; 81 years ago (1944) |
| Headquarters | , |
| Website | ivorsacademy |
The Ivors Academy (formerly known asBritish Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors –BASCA)[1] is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy works to protect and support and also campaigns the interests ofsongwriters,lyricists, andcomposers. It represents the music writers of allgenres and has approximately 2,000 members.[2]
TheComposers Guild of Great Britain was founded in 1944 to represent classical music composers, withRalph Vaughan Williams elected as its first president. TheSongwriters' Guild of Great Britain, later known asThe British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors was founded in 1947 byIvor Novello, Sir Alan Herbert,Eric Coates,Haydn Wood,Richard Addinsell, among others, with Eric Maschwitz[3] acting as the first Vice Chair, and Chairman in 1948, and again between 1954 and 1958. TheAssociation of Professional Composers was founded in 1976 byGeorge Fenton to represent composers of film and TV music. In 1958 the Composers' Guild of Great Britain began publishing the journalComposer, and also published a number of catalogues of available works. In 1967 the organisation, under the direction ofRuth Gipps, established theBritish Music Information Centre.
In 1999, The Association of Professional Composers (APC) and the Composers' Guild of Great Britain (CGGB) merged into the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors to provide a single, more powerful amalgamated organisation to represent its membership. The organization's current name was adopted in March 2009.Sir Tim Rice was elected first president, andGuy Fletcher andDavid Stoll served as joint chairs of a nine-member Board of Directors. Three executive committees were established to administer Pop and Theatrical Music, Concert Music, and Media. BASCA then had four genre committees representing Songwriters, Classical, Jazz, and Media composers. BASCA became known as The Ivors Academy on 25 March 2019.[4] The organization then moved in 2021 to a structure with a "senate" consisting of 40 songwriters and composers with committees relating to multiple genres and geographic regions.[5]
Members of The Ivors Academy include emerging songwriters and the United Kingdom's "most experienced and successful writers". A partial list of the past and present members includesDavid Arnold (fellow),Harrison Birtwistle,Peter Maxwell Davies (fellow),George Fenton,Guy Garvey,Howard Goodall,Diedrich Hartmann,Annie Lennox (fellow),Elton John (fellow), andPaul McCartney (fellow).Rolling Stones membersMick Jagger, andKeith Richards are members, as areSting,Pete Townshend,Imogen Heap,David Gilmour,George Michael,Alex Turner,Chris Martin,Lynsey de Paul,Cathy Dennis,Kate Bush,Mika,Evelyn Glennie,Gary Barlow,Chrissie Hynde,Sharleen Spiteri, andThom Yorke.
The Ivors Academy is a member ofUK Music, an umbrella organisation that represents the collective interests of the production side of the UK's commercial music industry: artists, musicians, songwriters, composers, record labels, artist managers, music publishers, studio producers, and music collecting societies.
In July 2016, songwriterCrispin Hunt became the chairman of the academy.[6] Hunt was replaced by songwriter and composerTom Gray as the chair of The Ivors Academy in February 2022.[7] In the autumn of 2022, The Ivors Academy sponsored the 2021 Songwriters' Review in collaboration with music rights organisationBlokur. Singer-songwriterOlivia Rodrigo was announced as that year's leading songwriter.[8][9]
In 1955, The Songwriters' Guild of Great Britain established theIvor Novello Awards to honour excellence in British music writing.[10] In 1974, the Academy established the Gold Badge Awards (nowIvors Academy Honours) for individuals who make outstanding contributions to Britain's music and entertainment industry, sponsored annually byPRS for Music. The organization also presents the British Composer Awards for excellence in classical andjazz music, also sponsored by thePRS for Music and in association withBBC Radio 3.
The Beatles have won 15 Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.[11][12][13][14] See also theList of awards and nominations received by The Beatles.
BASCA established the fellowship in 1999, and it was first awarded in 2000. Fellows are:[15]
{{cite news}}:|last3= has generic name (help)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
