Harry Styles, Kate Bush Among Nominees for Ivor Songwriting Awards

Harry Styles attends the premiere of "My Policeman" during the Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 11, 2022, in Toronto. (AP)
Harry Styles attends the premiere of "My Policeman" during the Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 11, 2022, in Toronto. (AP)
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Harry Styles, Kate Bush Among Nominees for Ivor Songwriting Awards

Harry Styles attends the premiere of "My Policeman" during the Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 11, 2022, in Toronto. (AP)
Harry Styles attends the premiere of "My Policeman" during the Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 11, 2022, in Toronto. (AP)

Singers Harry Styles and Kate Bush are among the nominees at next month's Ivors, the annual awards honouring songwriters and screen composers.

Kate Bush is being recognized for her 1985 song "Running Up That Hill" which enjoyed a resurgence in popularity last year thanks to Netflix show "Stranger Things", the UK-based Ivors Academy said on Tuesday evening.

The track will compete against Styles' mega hit "As It Was" in the most performed work category, which also includes Glass Animals' "Heat Waves" and two songs by hitmaker Ed Sheeran, "Shivers" and "Bad Habits".

Sheeran won the category last year with "Bad Habits" and it is the first time the same song has been nominated for the award two years running.

Styles has three nominations overall, including best song musically and lyrically for "As It Was" and songwriter of the year alongside his collaborator Kid Harpoon.

That category also includes singer Florence Welch, Wet Leg duo Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, George Daniel and Matty Healy of pop rock group The 1975 and rapper Central Cee with collaborator Young Chencs.

Album of the year contenders include rock group Arctic Monkeys' "The Car", Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C.'s "Skinty Fia" and Nigerian-born artist Obongjayar's "Some Nights I Dream of Doors".

Rapper Little Simz's album "No Thank You" and music collective Sault's "11" are also nominated, both with credits for singer-songwriter Cleo Sol and producer Dean "Inflo" Josiah Cover. The duo have three nominations overall.

Tom Odell’s "Best Day of My Life", Katie Gregson-Macleod’s "complex", Sault's "Stronger" and Florence + the Machine’s "King" complete the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category.

"The music nominated for an Ivor Novello this year is testament to the power and range of British and Irish songwriting and screen composing," Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said in a statement. "It’s a superlative list."

Box office hit "Avatar: The Way of Water" and psychological drama "Don't Worry Darling" are among the nominees for best original film score.

Named after the early 20th century Welsh composer, actor and entertainer Ivor Novello, the Ivor Awards were first handed out in 1956. This year's awards take place on May 18 in London.



Nintendo Showcases ‘Super Mario’, Game Boy History in New Museum

Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Nintendo Showcases ‘Super Mario’, Game Boy History in New Museum

Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Japanese firm Nintendo will next week open a museum showcasing its history, where fans of "Super Mario", "The Legend of Zelda" and the Game Boy and Switch can gain insight into one of the world's most renowned game makers.

Located in Uji near the company's Kyoto headquarters, the museum underscores the many evolutions of Nintendo, which was founded in 1889 as a maker of "hanafuda" playing cards and is now a global gaming giant.

Shigeru Miyamoto, executive fellow at Nintendo and creator of "Super Mario", said the museum was intended to deepen understanding of the company.

"If making products while protecting concepts such as family, fun and ease of understanding is rooted in our employees then the new Nintendo will continue to grow," he told reporters.

The museum, which opens to the public Oct. 2, is located on the site of a plant that used to make playing cards and was a center for product repairs. Tickets on its website are sold out for the following two months.

In addition to displaying iconic devices such as the Wii console and the handheld Game Boy, visitors will be able to see lesser known products such as the "Mamaberica" baby stroller and the "Copilas" printer.

The museum also offers a range of interactive experiences, with visitors able to partner to play the video game "Super Mario Bros." featuring mustachioed plumber Mario on a single, oversized Family Computer controller.

While a push into mobile gaming has tapered off, other efforts by Nintendo to expand beyond its core gaming business have gained traction with the company opening stores and employing its roster of characters in theme parks and film.

The Switch console has been a runaway success with an install base exceeding 140 million units, but with sales slowing, investor attention in now focused on the prospects for a successor device, with Nintendo due to reveal details in the current financial year, which ends in March.