ROTHERHAM songwriter and performer Rebecca Lucy Taylor narrowly missed out on a major prize at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards last night after Self Esteem’s “I Do And I Don’t Care” was beaten to the Best Contemporary Song award by Kae Tempest’s “I Stand on the Line”.

Taylor had been nominated alongside fellow contenders “Damascus” by Gorillaz featuring Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey, Little Simz’s “Free”, and another Kae Tempest track, “Know Yourself”.

“I Do And I Don’t Care”, taken from Self Esteem’s acclaimed album A Complicated Woman, is a defiant, sharply observed song about female autonomy, self-worth and refusing to bend to other people’s expectations - themes that have become central to Taylor’s writing.

Ahead of the ceremony, Taylor stressed that songwriting recognition mattered more to her than trophies themselves.

The former Slow Club musician, from Anston, has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most outspoken and acclaimed lyricists, previously winning the Visionary Award at the Ivors in 2025.