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British rapper Dizzee Rascal and singer Lily Allen were each nominated twice on Tuesday for Ivor Novello awards honoring songwriting.

Dizzee Rascal was shortlisted for the best contemporary song category with "Bonkers" and the best album award for "Tongue N' Cheek" while Allen's chart-topping hit "The Fear" was up for best song musically and lyrically and most performed work.

Nick Hemming, a relative unknown before his Ivor Novello nomination in 2009, is shortlisted again in 2010 for "Save it for Someone who Cares" performed by The Leisure Society.

He is up against Allen and fledgling band Patch William's "The Last Bus" in the best song musically and lyrically category.

In the best contemporary song category Dizzee Rascal is joined by Bat For Lashes ("Daniel") and La Roux ("In For the Kill."

Constesting the album award alongside Dizzee Rascal is The Duckworth Lewis Method with their eponymous record inspired by a love of cricket and Paolo Nutini for "Sunny Side Up."

Reflecting the growing importance of video game scores to the music industry, organizers have added a new category of best original video game score in the Ivors' 55th year.

"The Ivors has always sought to reflect the ever-changing world of songwriting and composing," said Mark Fishlock, director of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).

"The video games market has matured beyond recognition and big budget orchestral scores are regularly being commissioned."

Following is a full list of nominations:

Best Contemporary Song:

- Bonkers; songwriters Dylan Mills/Armand Van Helden; performed by Dizzee Rascal

- Daniel; songwriter Natasha Khan; performed by Bat For Lashes

- In For The Kill; songwriters Elly Jackson/Ben Langmaid; performed by La Roux

Best Song Musically & Lyrically:

- Save It For Someone Who Cares; songwriter Nick Hemming; performed by The Leisure Society

- The Fear; songwriters Lily Allen/Greg Kurstin; performed by Lily Allen

- The Last Bus; songwriters Ed Adlard/Will Adlard/Ali Digby/George Eddy; performed by Patch William

Best Television Soundtrack:

- Desperate Romantics; composer Daniel Pemberton

- Life; composer George Fenton

- Red Riding 1974; composer Adrian Johnston

Album Award:

- The Duckworth Lewis Method; songwriters Neil Hannon/Thomas Walsh; performed by The Duckworth Lewis Method

- Sunny Side Up; songwriter Paolo Nutini; performed by Paolo Nutini

- Tongue N' Cheek; songwriters Nicholas Detnon/Dylan Mills; performed by Dizzee Rascal

PRS for Music Most Performed Work:

- Broken Strings; writers James Morrison/Fraser T Smith/Nina Woodford; performed by James Morrison featuring Nelly Furtado

- The Fear; writers Lily Allen/Greg Kurstin; performed by Lily Allen

- The Promise; writers Nick Coler/Miranda Cooper/Brian Higgins/Kieran Jones/Tim Powell/Jason Resch/Carla Williams; performed by Girls Aloud

Best Original Film Score:

- Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs; composers John Powell

- Skin; composer Helene Muddiman

- The Young Victoria; composer Ilan Eshkeri

Best Original Video Game Score:

- Empire: Total War; composers Richard Beddow/Richard Birdsall/Walter Mair/Lorenzo Piggici/Simon Ravn; developer Creative Assembly

- Killzone 2; composer Joris de Man; developer Guerrilla Games

- Savage Moon: Waldgeist; composer Armin Elsaesser; developer Fluffy Logic

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Steve Addison and Paul Casciato)

Singer Nelly Furtado (pictured) has hit out at Madonna and said she wants to grow old gracefully. The 30-year-old star admitted that she is not planning to start adjusting her body to keep herself looking young like Vogue star Madonna, 50.

She said to German magazine Petra: "I am not ready to adjust physically, just to be marketable. My sell-by date will run out eventually. "Unlike Madonna, I wouldn't be willing to do Pilates round the clock, just to slow down the deterioration of my body. I prefer to sit in the kitchen, drink tea and eat biscuits."

More Madge...Madonna donned a bullet-proof vest when she visited a slum in Brazil, it has been claimed. The singer is said to have insisted on wearing the protective clothing on a trip to the Dona Marta favela in Rio de Janiero last week.
The Globo newspaper reported that Madge, 51, got armored up underneath her leather jacket on the 40-minute visit, where she was accompanied by the state governor, Sergio Cabral.
She has raised $10 million to build a school there – similar to the one she built in Malawi. A representative for the singer was unavailable for comment.

Making the most of her time across the pond, Nelly Furtado was spotted having lunch at the Beach Blanket Babylon restaurant earlier today (October 1).

The “Promiscuous” songstress was all smiles as she exited the Notting Hill eatery, waving to the shutterbugs as she made her way to her ride.

Of her new album Mi Plan (released this past Tuesday), Nelly says the key to her inspiration was writing the whole thing in Spanish.

"I tried to write in English a few times, and it was, like, forget about it. I just had no inspiration. And then when I started writing in Spanish it was like, 'Whoah! I get to finally pay tribute or experiment with all the Latin pop sounds that I love. And all the artists.'"

Nelly Furtado rewrote her album to please her daughter.

The Canadian-born singer recorded her new album 'Mi Plan' at home and paid careful attention to the advice she was given by five-year-old Nevis - her child with husband Demacio Castellon - when comprising the final track listing.

She said: "I had English writer's block so I decided to make an album in Spanish. I played it to my daughter and she said to me, 'Mummy there are too many slow songs. You need more fast songs.'

"So mummy went back to the studio and put a couple more fast songs on the album.

"She's like a little A and R person and is pretty musical for her age."

While the Spanish album took the 'Maneater' star in a new direction, she is already thinking ahead to her next direction and wants to collaborate with 'Bulletproof' hitmaker La Roux.

No one ever likes a run-in with the police while driving, and yesterday (September 16) Eva Longoria found herself on the losing end of an exchange with one of Los Angeles’ finest.

The “Desperate Housewives” actress got pulled over in her swanky Lexus 400h and after arguing her case received a citation from the police officer.

As could be expected, Eva certainly didn’t look too pleased as she accepted the ticket and drove off to a movie set on the UCLA campus.

Coming up tonight, Eva shares the hosting duties with George Lopez at the 2009 ALMA Awards, featuring performances by David Archuleta, Nelly Furtado, Sean Kingston, and Pitbull.

Looking radiant in a long white dress, Eva Longoria ventured out for a midday visit to a medical building in Beverly Hills on Tuesday (September 14).

The day's outing comes as the 34-year-old actress has been busily working on the set of "Desperate Housewives" - which sees in its latest season's premiere on Sunday, September 27 at 9/8C on ABC.

Meanwhile, Eva also is looking forward to co-hosting duties alongside George Lopez at the 2009 ALMA Awards, which will take place on September 17 at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus and broadcast the following day at 8PM EST on ABC.

As previously reported by Gossip Center, Salma Hayek and Oscar de la Hoya are among the night's special honorees, while musical acts including Shakira, David Archuleta, Nelly Furtado, Sean Kingston and Pitbull will all be taking the stage.

Spending another day on set, Leighton Meester was hard at work at the Buddakan Restaruarnt in downtown NYC on Wednesday (August 26).

The “Gossip Girl” beauty made multiple wardrobe changes throughout the day, joined at times by her brother, Lex, as well Neal Bledsoe.

Meanwhile, Miss Meester is getting ready for the VMA’s on September 13, where she will be presenting an award.

Also joining her in presenting awards are co-star Chace Crawford, as well as Katy Perry, Ne-Yo and Nelly Furtado.

Gearing up for her next album Mi Plan, Nelly Furtado was spotted rocking the stage at Mexico City’s Hard Rock Live last night (August 3).

The “Promiscuous” songstress looked to be in fine form as she worked the crowd while performing a hit-laden set list complete with plenty of sexy dance moves.

Speaking of her upcoming album, Nelly told press that this time around, she’s singing only in Spanish as it has given her a new creative boost.

"I've always sung in, well, three languages for the past five years. I've been singing in Portuguese and English since I was 2 years old, so I really love being a universal artist. I love being a world artist, so it's just my next step really. The Spanish project is just my next step to get to [being] 80 years old onstage, singing something. This is my next step in the puzzle."

She added, "The songs are all about amor. They are all about love, and it's my first album with more love songs. They're really like songs that everybody can relate to about love and life and everyday living, just the things you go through. So basically, I found that once I started writing songs in Spanish, I had a new voice."

Nelly Furtado says singing in Spanish is "liberating".

The 'Maneater' singer - who was born in Canada to Portuguese parents - is set to release 'Mi Plan', her first album in the language.

Nelly admits she found it easier to get close to her emotions in a different language.

She said: "I think this album has some of my first true love songs ever. They're not complicated. They're not over-intellectualised, and I found it liberating to be able to sing in the Latin language and to express myself from my Latin soul."

The 'Promiscuous' star made the decision to record in Spanish after touring her 2006 smash hit album 'Loose' left her creatively exhausted.

She explained: "I was physically tired and I wasn't feeling inspired. It was almost as if I lost my pop inspiration to write in English. I just needed a new outlet, and I found it by writing in Spanish."

The album, set for release in September, features a range of guest artists, including collaborations with Mexican singers Alejandro Fernandez and Julieta Venegas and Latin hip-hop singer La Mala Rodriguez.

However, Nelly revealed working with classical star Josh Groban on 'Silencio' was a "huge blessing".

Cheryl Cole could be the next "Beyonce Knowles".

The Girls Aloud singer travelled to the US recently where she wowed record executives, leaving them desperate for her to sign a solo contract.

A source told Britain's Hello! magazine: "When Cheryl came over to Los Angeles she definitely wasn't just there to enjoy the Grammys parties. She had meetings with Interscope label bosses which is a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group that represents Girls Aloud. Bosses seem confident that she could become a huge solo star, in the mould of Beyonce Knowles or Nelly Furtado."

Cheryl's fellow judge on UK TV talent show 'The X Factor' Simon Cowell is keen to help the 25-year-old singer become a worldwide star.

He said: "I would say she's a star, and she'll work as well in America as she does here. She's definitely got a shot."

US publicist Howard Bragman is confident Cheryl will be a Stateside success if she has Simon's support.

He said: "Simon is one of the biggest star-makers of his generation, and if you've got him in your corner, you are in very good standing.