He was criticised, laughed at and flat out told that white boys from Stoke shouldn’t rap. Now Robbie Williams is having the last laugh.

Rudebox, the song that saw Williams panned by critics, has been nominated for an Ivor Novello songwriting award.

Released last year, Rudebox was a new sound for the singer and it went down like a lead balloon.

Not only was the single roasted, the album Rudebox failed to sell as expected and was named the worst album of the year at the NME Awards.

Recently out of rehab, Williams will no doubt be pleased to hear of his nomination in the International Hit of the Year category.

He is up against Madonna and her single Sorry and the Scissor Sisters’ hit I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.

Other nominations for the songwriting and composing awards include Amy Winehouse for Rehab and Arctic Monkeys for When the Sun Goes Down.

Casino Royale has been nominated for Best Original Film Score.

The awards will be held at The Grosvenor House hotel in central London on May 24.

And the nominees are...

BEST SONG MUSICALLY & LYRICALLY

Elusive

Writer: Scott Matthews

Performed By: Scott Matthews

Sophia

Writer: Nerina Pallot

Performed By: Nerina Pallot

When The Sun Goes Down

Writer: Alex Turner

Performed By: Arctic Monkeys

BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG

Over and Over

Writers: Joseph Goddard / Alexis Taylor / Felix Martin

Performed By: Hot Chip

Rehab

Writer: Amy Winehouse

Performed By: Amy Winehouse

Yeah Yeah

Writers: Nick Bridges / Jon Pearn / Nathan Thomas / Luciana Caporaso / Nick Clow

Performed By: Bodyrox Ft Luciana

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE

Casino Royale

Composer: David Arnold

Ice Age The Meltdown

Composer: John Powell

Severance

Composer: Christian Henson

BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK

Broadcast: Hotel Babylon

Composer: John Lunn / Jim Williams

Broadcast: Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole In My Heart

Composer: Alex Heffes

Broadcast: The Virgin Queen

Composer: Martin Phipps

PRS MOST PERFORMED WORK

I Don’t Feel Like Dancin'

Writers: Sir Elton John / Scott Hoffman / Jason Sellards

Performed By: Scissor Sisters

Put Your Records On

Writers: Corinne Bailey Rae / John Beck / Steve Chrisanthou

Performed By: Corinne Bailey Rae

Sorry

Writers: Madonna / Stuart Price

Performed By: Madonna

INTERNATIONAL HIT OF THE YEAR

I Don’t Feel Like Dancin'

Writer/s: Sir Elton John / Scott Hoffman / Jason Sellards

Performed By: Scissor Sisters

Rudebox

Writers: Robbie Williams / Danny Spencer / Kelvin Andrews / Sly Dunbar / Robbie Shakespeare / William “Earl” Collins / Bill Laswell / Edmund “Carl Jr” Aiken

Performed By: Robbie William

Sorry

Writers: Madonna / Stuart Price

Performed By: Madonna

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