Tinie Tempah and Plan B in Novello Awards battle

London's hottest musical talent is competing in the Ivor Novello Awards, with rappers Plan B and Tinie Tempah leading the charge.

Plan B - 27-year-old Ben Drew from Forest Gate - is nominated in two categories, while Plumstead's Tinie Tempah and Peckham singer-songwriter Katy B are each up for one award.

The Plan B song She Said is in the running for most performed work of last year. The star's second nomination is for his second album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, on which which saw him he switched from rapper to soul singer.

Also in the album category are Crouch End guitar band Bombay Bicycle Club -nominated for their second album, Flaws - and Manchester band Everything Everything, for Man Alive.

Best contemporary song is an all-London category.

The xx - the Indie band who met at Elliott School in Putney and went on to win last year's Barclaycard Mercury Prize - are shortlisted for Islands. Double Brit winner Tinie Tempah, 22, features for his No 1 single Pass Out, as does 21-year-old Brits School graduate Katy B, nominated for her first single, Katy On A Mission.

The awards ceremony is at the Grosvenor House Hotel on May 19.