Ivors Academy Introduces New Awards for Composers, Including Video Game Music Category

The Ivors Academy is launching a dedicated awards ceremony to honour the work of composers, including those in the video game industry. The new Ivors Composer Awards will acknowledge outstanding music contributions across various sectors, including film, television, live performances, and commercial recordings, with a focus on British, Irish, and UK-based composers. The awards are now open for submissions, with the winners set to receive the prestigious Ivor Novello Award. This move builds upon the Academy's long history of recognising video game music, which dates back to 2010 when Killzone 2 received the inaugural award. Since then, numerous games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Sea of Thieves, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps have been recognised for their musical excellence. According to Robert Neri, CEO of the Ivors Academy, the introduction of this new ceremony marks a significant milestone in the organisation's 71-year history of promoting compositional excellence. Neri stated that the expansion aims to give composers the recognition they deserve by celebrating their craft and its impact across a wide range of platforms, from stage and screen to gaming and streaming. The Ivors Composer Awards will take place on November 17, 2026, at London's Grosvenor House, as part of The Ivors Composer Week, which runs from November 16 to 20.