Ed Sheeran is in the running to win Song of The Year for the third consecutive year at the BMI London Awards 2018, with his huge hit ‘Shape of You’.
James Arthur is also in consideration for the award, with his single ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’, as well as Zedd and Alessia Cara for ‘Stay’, Kygo and Selena Gomez with ‘It Ain’t Me’, and The Weeknd and Daft Punk for ‘I Feel It Coming’.
The award, which honours the most played song of 2017 on radio and television in the U.S., will be awarded on Monday, October 1st by BMI – the global leader in music rights management.
Ed has scooped Pop Song of The Year for the last two consecutive years, first in 2016 with ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and again in 2017 with ‘Love Yourself’ (performed by Justin Bieber). He has also previously been shortlisted for tracks such as ‘Sing’ and ‘Don’t’, as well as his work on Taylor Swift’s ‘Everything Has Changed’. ‘Shape Of You’, this year’s contender for ‘Song Of The Year’, spent an impressive 89 weeks on the UK singles chart and was co-written with Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol – a highly accomplished songwriter having previously collaborated with artists such as Biffy Clyro, Rudimental and Example.
James Arthur, who won the ninth series of The X-Factor UK in 2009, is in the running with the first single he released after a lengthy hiatus from music. ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ has been nominated for two BRIT Awards, has topped the charts in 9 countries, and is now certified double-platinum in the U.K.
It was revealed last week that Liam Payne, James Arthur, Right Said Fred, Tinie Tempah, and Natasha Bedingfield are expected to attend and will be honoured at this year’s ceremony, while esteemed composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) is to be named the BMI Icon for 2018.
The BMI annual gala will pay tribute to the best of U.K. and European songwriters, composers and publishers from the past year’s most-performed songs. The Million-Air Awards, Song of the Year, and awards for Pop, Dance, Film, Television and Cable Television Music will be presented throughout the evening. Last year’s recipients include David Bowie, Queen, Ed Sheeran, Fraser T. Smith, Naughty Boy, Foals, Jamie Scott and MØ, and Bipolar Sunshine.
POP SONG OF THE YEAR: FULL SHORTLIST
Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
Stay – Zedd and Alessia Cara
It Ain’t Me – Kygo and Selena Gomez
I Feel It Coming – The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk
2018 HONOUREES: CONFIRMED
Liam Payne for “Strip That Down” – by Liam Payne & Quavo
Tinie Tempah Publisher for “Passionfruit” – by Drake
Natasha Bedingfield for “Unwritten”
Right Said Fred (Fred Fairbass & Richard Fairbrass) for “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift
Trevor Rabin for “Owner of a Lonely Heart” – by Yes – 5 Million Performances
Willy William for “Mi Gente” – by J Balvin & Willy William
Caroline Ailin for “New Rules” – by Dua Lipa
Dayo Olatunji (aka Dyo) for “What Lovers Do (feat. SZA) ” – by Maroon 5
Giorgio Tuinfort for “2U” – by David Guetta
Neil Ormandy for “Say You Won’t Let Go” – by James Arthur
Jamie Hartman for “Human” – by Rag and Bone Man
What do you think of this years BMI shortlist? Let us know @CelebMix!