Ten nominees were selected from a total of 146 entries received by SWA Awards committee

Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced today the 10 nominees for the Lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020. Winners of the Best Lyricist for Feature Film and Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Web Series will be announced in an online awards ceremony on September 27, 2020.

Nominees for Best Lyricist for Feature Film are:

1. Ankur Tewari and Divine for Apna time ayega in Gully Boy

2. Amitabh Bhattacharya for Kalank title track in Kalank

3. Divine and Naezy for Meri gully mein in Gully Boy

4. Varun Grover for Ruan ruan in Sonchiriya

5. Manoj Muntashir for Teri mitti in Kesari

Nominees for Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Web Series are:

1. Shekhar Astitva for Title track in Radhakrishn

2. Zama Habib for Ek tum chup, ek chup main in Isharo Isharo Mein

3. Shashank Kunwar for Pet bechara in Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

4. Majaal for Rooh in Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

5. Majaal for Nishaniya in Laakhon Mein Ek Season 2

Congratulating the nominees, Sunil Salgia, General Secretary, SWA, said, `Ask anyone abroad about Indian films, the response will be, 'Oh, Bollywood! Great songs and dances!' Songs give a unique identity to our movies and surely there are no songs without lyrics. Talent that can say a thousand words in a few, in spite of their struggle to write poetry beyond the hook phrase and which can be heard and remembered in the noisy world, deserves applause.`

The 10 nominees were selected from 146 entries received by the SWA Awards committee from Hindi language films and TV serials/web series released in 2019. A jury comprising of eminent lyricists such as Amit Khanna, Ila Arun, Kausar Munir, Mayur Puri and Panchhi Jalonvi selected the nominees after a thorough individual and joint evaluation process.

Shellee, lyricist and spokesperson for the SWA Lyrics category, said, `It is difficult to imagine films such as Awara, Mera Naam Joker, Guide, Pakeeza, Mughal-e-Azam, Teesri Kasam without their songs. Songs are the ornaments that adorn our cinema. Their fragrance lends beauty to our ordinary lives. I congratulate the nominees of SWA Awards 2020 and wish them the best of luck.`

SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its Diamond Jubilee year in 2020. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers' guilds and literary organisations.

The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

Nominees - Best Lyricist for Feature Film

Song: Apna time ayega | Film: Gully Boy

Ankur Tewari: It is an honour to be nominated in the Best Lyrics category and I am thrilled to be in such esteemed company with Divine and the other nominees. I would like to thank SWA for this opportunity.

Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

Divine: Of all the tracks I have written till date, Apna time aayega and Meri gully mein have arguably had the biggest impact not just for me or Gully Boy, but for the Hip-Hop movement as a whole in India. Meri gully mein is close to my heart as the original release truly put the sound of Mumbai on the map. We have never looked back since.

Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

Naezy: I am delighted to have been nominated for "Meri Gully mein" by SWA Awards 2020. This song is very special to me and I feel honoured that it has been nominated in the Best Lyrics for Films category. My best wishes to SWA for their first ever Awards and also to all the fellow nominees.

Song: Kalank title track | Film: Kalank

Amitabh Bhattacharya: I am honoured and humbled to receive nomination in the Best Lyricist category of the first SWA Awards, the only award of the writers, by the writers and for the writers. My gratitude and best wishes to Screenwriters Association. I am really excited and I look forward to the ceremony.

Song: Ruan ruan | Film: Sonchiriya

Varun Grover: It's an award for the community by the peers and that makes it extra special. I had decided not to attend any regular film awards because of the way they treat writers and technicians and it's a great step forward that SWA decided to start awards where writers are in the front and centre. Now the stage is ours. So are the microphone, chairs, victories and defeats and joys and sorrows.

Nominees - Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Web Series

Song: Ek tum chup, ek chup main | TV Serial: Isharo Isharo Mein

Zama Habib: I am thrilled to know that my song has been nominated in the Best Lyrics category by SWA Awards. It feels great and special because the award is from the writing fraternity for the first time. Writers choosing the best of writing is always a great and satisfying idea.

Song: Pet bechara | TV Serial: Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

Shashank Kunwar: An artist's biggest motivation is appreciation, and it is really special when it comes from the people who understand the finer nuances of the art form. I want to congratulate SWA for giving shape to this award. In the times of lockdown and pandemic, it is comforting to feel that one is not working in isolation. Thank you, SWA!

Song: Title track | TV Serial: Radhakrishn

Shekhar Astitwa: I am happy to hear that SWA will hold the first ever SWA Awards 2020. I congratulate SWA for organising these prestigious awards and extend my best wishes to my fellow nominees.

Songs: Rooh and Nishaniya | Web series: Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

Majaal: Writers are travellers and SWA is the wisdom tree which stands tall and steady. It bears fruit for the hungry and provides shelter when the weather is testing. And now a 'never-seen-before' flower has blossomed on this benevolent tree - SWA Awards - to bless the ones destined to travel further. I feel fortunate for being nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. It has inspired me to keep travelling on.

The Screenwriters Association (formerly Film Writers' Association) is a trade union of screenwriters and lyricists who write Films, TV and Digital Media in India. With a membership of over 25,000 writers, SWA safeguards the interests, rights, compensation and privileges of its members in all matters relating to their professional engagement and working conditions. It has been working for the last 60 years to get the Indian film and TV industries to acknowledge the central role of writers through collective bargaining, legal assistance, mediation and settlement of disputes and education.