Cohen to receive £1m for 'X Factor' song

Leonard Cohen will receive £1 million in royalties for the use of his song 'Hallelujah' as this year's X Factor winner's single.

The track was performed three times in Saturday's live final - twice by eventual champion Alexandra Burke and once by boyband JLS.

Sony/ATV chief executive Marty Bandier told The Times that commercial use of the song usually comes with a large price tag. "We get a host of requests from films and television to use it, but 'Hallelujah' is recognised as one of the greatest songs ever, so it demands a high fee," he said.

Earlier this year, 74-year-old Cohen returned to live performing after a dispute with his former lover and manager saw him lose his $10 million (£6.7 million) retirement fund.