Lily Allen will fight it out with a grouping of virtual unknowns stood up for on Twitter by Stephen Fry for a top songwriting award. Patch William – formed by 4 ex-Bristol College scholars – are nominated for ‘best song musically and lyrically’ at this seasons’s Ivor Novello Awards for their song The Last Bus.

Patch William claimed : “we’re a comparatively unknown band on an independent label.

When we latterly signed with Chrysalis Music, we looked starry-eyed at the 2 Ivor Novello statues at the entrance. Not in our most extravagant daydreams did we imagine that we might be nominated.”.

Also up for the title is put it aside For someone that Cares by The Leisure Society, who last year were designated for a similar prize as unpublished musicians, while composer / guitar player Nick Hemming worked in a warehouse. Another class sees a cult – but celebrated – idea album about cricket by erstwhile Divine Comedy star Neil Hannon. The Duckworth Lewis Strategy – named after an arguable system for working out cricket scores – was released last year by Hannon and Pugwash face Thomas Walsh, and faces Paolo Nutini’s Bright Side Up and Dizzee Rascal’s Tongue N’Cheek on the album shortlist. Nominees for the best modern song class, one of the key awards, are Dizzee Lad with chart-topping holiday favourite Bonkers, La Roux’s In For The Kill and Daniel by Bat For Lashes.

The 55th yearly awards will be distributed at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on May twenty.