2025 was one of the most significant years in our 81-year history and for our mission to protect, empower and celebrate all songwriters and composers. Our craft and community face many threats, but our response is robust. We strengthened our purpose, grew our international influence and delivered meaningful progress for the most important people in music – its creators.
Academy relaunch
This was the year we relaunched The Ivors Academy with a new purpose and global outlook. We simplified and opened up membership routes, introduced a new member offer and launched a new brand, website and members’ area that reflect the ambition of our community. As a result, we became the fastest growing global community of songwriters and composers, increasing our membership fivefold since 2024, and this is just the beginning. Alongside this, we strengthened governance to ensure that decisions remain firmly in the interests of members and that our work is focused, transparent and accountable.
Protecting your rights and value
Our work to protect the rights and livelihoods of writers accelerated. With the help of our members, we secured the adoption of unrecoupable per diems, a long-overdue world first that sets a new standard we are ready to take global. Our leadership on AI continued by insisting on authorisation, remuneration and transparency, while our advocacy for music education pushed for a curriculum that supports the next generation of creators.
We introduced new commissioning templates that empower composers to secure fair terms. The End Ghostwriting campaign with media composers gained momentum so no composer is invisible on a film, television or games soundtrack they’ve contributed to. The Fair Score campaign produced new evidence needed to argue for more transparent and equitable commissioning practices. We also made significant progress to establish The Living Composer Trust to nurture new compositions.
Empowering your choices
We invested in empowering members with more knowledge, skills and connections than ever before. The first Ivors Academy Summit brought songwriters and composers together with leaders from the global music industry. From the Summit, Version 1 of our Knowledge Toolkit launched as a practical resource to support all members with their professional growth.
Mentoring continued to empower members with personalised support, connecting songwriters and composers with experienced mentors who understand the journey. Writing Camps created valuable spaces for collaboration, and we delivered a busy programme of events on hit song structures, cue sheets, video game composition, wellbeing, funding, AI, royalties, commissioning, DEI and more. In-conversations with Lorne Balfe, Self Esteem, David Arnold and Speakers Corner Quartet took us deeper into their creative process, and we unpacked member benefits to ensure writers can make the most of their Academy.
Celebrating excellence
We continued to celebrate excellence at the highest level. The Ivors, The Ivors Academy Honours and The Ivors Classical Awards showcased the brilliance of our community and our greatest champions, and we welcomed U2 and Anne Dudley as new Fellows of the Academy.
Amongst the many incredible talents we celebrated, Lola Young was awarded the Rising Star Award, Charli xcx became Songwriter of the Year, Anoushka Shankar was honoured for innovation, Self Esteem for being a visionary, Bloc Party for their outstanding song collection and Debbie Wiseman for her contributions to screen composition.
At our first dedicated ceremony for The Ivors Academy Honours, we celebrated executives and songwriters who are making a tangible difference to our community and creating a better music industry, recognising figures from RAYE and Kae Tempest to Jon Platt, Kanya King and more.
What to expect in 2026
As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with confidence and purpose. We will grow our international presence and strengthen our leadership on political and industry issues that shape the future for songwriters and composers. We will ensure that writers are represented in the right rooms and have a stronger public voice. Across AI, commissioning, transparency, data, fair credits, education, pay and reward, there is much for us to address and improve.
We will also become more personal and more connected, offering new ways for members to interact, seek advice, find inspiration and build knowledge. Our new community forum will allow members to connect directly, which will be a true step change for the Academy.
Ivors Week returns for 2026 with our second Summit on 19 May and the 71st Ivor Novello Awards on 21 May. This week exemplifies our purpose to raise the profile of, and respect for, the song and songwriters.
This year has shown what is possible when we act and speak together to protect, empower and celebrate all music writers. In 2026, we will build on this momentum with determination, clarity and enormous pride in the global community we serve.
Thank you for your ongoing support – it is deeply appreciated.
Roberto Neri
Chief Executive Officer
The Ivors Academy
