This award celebrates an international songwriter whose released songs had a cultural and commercial impact in the UK over the past year.
Spanish singer-songwriter ROSALÍA released her highly-acclaimed album LUX in 2025, featuring hits including “La Perla”, “Berghain”, “Reliquia” and “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas”. Written in 13 different languages, LUX represented not only a bold and innovative artistic step forward for ROSALÍA, but a revelatory project that transcended language and genre barriers.
A classically trained flamenco musician who has expanded the boundaries of music, ROSALÍA is grounded in tradition, with her songwriting moving fluidly across form, language and genre, creating work that feels both deeply authentic and distinctly original.
ROSALÍA’s breakthrough album El Mal Querer was released in 2018, reimagining flamenco for a new era. In 2022, she released MOTOMAMI, which she wrote, performed, recorded and produced; it debuted at #1 globally and scored the highest Metacritic rating of the year. Most recently, LUX achieved an unprecedented feat of 5 Billboard #1 chart placements, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200, and was named as one of the best albums of the year by Rolling Stone, Billboard, The New York Times, Pitchfork and The New Yorker.
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said: “We are proud to celebrate ROSALÍA as International Songwriter of the Year. Her songwriting has captured the hearts and minds of audiences around the globe. With lyrics in over 13 languages, Rosalia has broken down barriers and borders, and I’m delighted she will be celebrated by our community and industry as she picks up her first Ivor Novello Award. This recognition reflects our growing global outlook and celebrates songwriters defining music and culture.”
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “With her craft, musicality and intellect, ROSALÍA is redefining what songwriting can be. Her work blends tradition and experimentation with extraordinary precision and impact, creating songs that continually evolve and immerse us fully in her world.”
The Ivors are the most prestigious celebration of the craft, cultural impact and enduring importance of songs and screen compositions. Recognised as the pinnacle of creative musical achievement since they were first presented in 1956, winning an Ivor Novello is the highest global recognition for songwriting and composing.
At The Ivors, ROSALÍA will join a roll call of songwriter greats that includes Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Adele, RAYE, Stormzy, Bill Withers, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Wilson, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, Dave, Sting, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Charli xcx, Lana Del Rey, Lola Young, Lou Reed and Elton John.
This year’s nominees were announced on 25 March and the winners will be revealed at The Ivors with Amazon Music at Grosvenor House in London on 21 May 2026.
