The winners of The Ivors with Amazon Music were announced today at the annual awards ceremony held at Grosvenor House in London.
During Ivor's 69th anniversary, 26 songwriters and composers received Ivor Novello Awards in 14 categories in recognition of outstanding achievement in songwriting for film.
This year's Amazon Music Songwriter of the Year award goes to RAYE. Described by the judges as having “the voice of a generation,” RAYE is one of the UK's finest songwriters. This win caps an incredible 12 months since the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, and marks a full-circle moment for RAYE, a long-time songwriters' vocal champion. As well as achieving great success with her own music, she has also written for artists such as Charli XCX, Little Mix, Beyoncé, John Legend, Ellie Goulding and Zara Larsson.
In a historic moment for Ivors, Bruce Springsteen was awarded a Fellowship of the Ivors Academy by former Fellow and close friend Sir Paul McCartney, making Springsteen the first international songwriter to be inducted into the Fellowship in the Academy's 80-year history, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the craft of songwriting and his impact on the UK cultural landscape.
The award for Best Album went to Black Classical Music, written by Yusef Days, Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey. A major achievement for London's burgeoning jazz scene, the album was praised by the judges for reimagining the instrumental form with a contemporary lens and for the narrative arc that drives the listener forward.
This year's special international award celebrated the career and influence of Lana Del Rey. Her impact on the UK is undeniable, having had six number one records there, and her extraordinary songwriting talent is undeniable as well. She's a favourite of fellow award winner Bruce Springsteen, who has previously said she is one of the best lyricists of our time.
Recognizing exceptional originality in songwriting, Speakers Corner Quartet – Quake Bass, Peter Benny, Biscuit, Raven Bush and Kay Tempest – won Best Contemporary Song for “Geronimo Blues,” a song with beautiful lyrics, marking the first time these composers have won the award.
2023 Rising Star winner Victoria Canal emerged as an artist and songwriter, winning Best Song and Best Lyrics with “Black Swan” alongside Jonny Latimer and Eg White. The song, which Canal performed live at the ceremony, was praised by the judges for its beautiful balance of complex musical structure and lyrical metaphor.
Dave, Central Sea, Joe Caleb and Johnny Leslie received the PRS for Music Most Performed Work award for their collaboration on “Splinter,” the UK's biggest hit of 2023. Dave and Central Sea have previously been nominated for Songwriter of the Year, with Dave winning in 2022.
Rap legend Skepta is the recipient of Amazon Music's Visionary Award. Fearless in his creative approach, Skepta is a champion of a genre that has changed the face of popular music. Innovative, multifaceted and visionary, Skepta's influence is undeniable.
Now in its fifth year, Amazon Music's Rising Star Awards continue to recognise the most promising songwriters from the UK and Ireland. This year's winner is Master Peace, whose songwriting was recognised for its masterful blend of genres and his ambition and promise as a songwriter.
Acclaimed songwriter Bernie Taupin has received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. This is the ninth time that Bernie Taupin has received the award, 50 years after his first win in 1974 for “Daniel” with Sir Elton John. Known for his long-running and hugely successful songwriting partnership with Elton, Taupin has also written for a wide range of artists including Starship, Heart, Willie Nelson, Courtney Love and Brian Wilson.
KT Tunstall received the PRS Music Award for Outstanding Song Collection in recognition of the creative trajectory of a 20-year career that highlights her extraordinary talent as a songwriter. This is her first win in 18 years, since winning Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2006 for “Suddenly I See.”
In the film music category, Jarski Fendricks' debut score for the critically acclaimed Emma Stone film “Poor Things” won the award for Best Original Film Score, and was hailed as an outstanding example of creative collaboration between composer and director.
Arthur Sharpe won the award for Best Television Soundtrack for his inventive and expressive original score for the film The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies. This is the second time the British composer has won the award, having previously won in 2022 for his score to the film Landscapers.
Best Original Video Game Score went to Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The score is incredibly well-written, with an emotional and nostalgic feel that permeates it, and they were recognized for staying true to John Williams' original music while also exploring its own authentic world.
Tom Gray, chairman of the Ivers Academy, said: “On behalf of the Ivers Academy and all the songwriters and composers we represent, it is an honour to recognise the incredible work and the incredible people behind it. We know that our awards mean so much to the recipients because they are chosen by their peers in the Academy. At the end of the day, we all know that Ivers represents excellence in their craft, so we offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.”
Title sponsor Amazon Music expanded The Ivors' reach by livestreaming behind-the-scenes coverage of the ceremony on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. Hosted by Zach Sang and Ayamé, the broadcast featured exclusive performances from METTE and Victoria Canal, as well as special behind-the-scenes performances from trending star Angelina Jordan and award-winning songwriter Toby Gad, and exclusive interviews with The War on Drugs and KT Tunstall.
In celebration of Ivor the Future 2024, Amazon Music has released three new Amazon Music Original tracks. METTE and The War on Drugs have covered iconic songs from some of this year's honorees. American singer-songwriter METTE has covered Elton John and Bernie Taupin's “Bennie and the Jets (Amazon Music Original),” the latter of whom received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music award. Hailed by The New Yorker magazine as “the best American rock band of the decade,” The War on Drugs has paid tribute to Ivor the Future Academy fellow Bruce Springsteen by releasing two new covers of his classic tracks, “Dry Lightning (Amazon Music Original)” and “Highway 29 (Amazon Music Original).”
In addition to these special Amazon Music Original tracks, Amazon Music listeners have access to hundreds of Amazon Originals featuring both emerging and established artists across a variety of genres, available to stream exclusively on Amazon Music. Amazon Music's official The Ivors 2024 playlist features songs from this year's awards winners and nominees. Listen here:
2024 Award Recipients:
Best album
Black Classical Music
By Yusef Days, Rocco Palladino and Charlie Stacey
Performed by Yusef Days
Music published in the UK by YD Music-Kobalt Music Publishing and Sentric Music
Best Contemporary Song
“Geronimo Blues”
Written by Quake Bass, Peter Benny, Biscuit, Raven Bush and Kay Tempest
Performed by Speakers Corner Quartet feat. Kay Tempest
Music published in the UK by Warp Publishing and Domino Publishing
A great song both musically and lyrically
“Black Swan”
By Victoria Canal, Johnny Latimer and Eg White
Performed by Victoria Canal
Second Songs in the UK – Music published by Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chapple Music Limited and Universal Music Publishing
PRS FOR MUSIC Most Performed Works
“Sprinter”
Written by Central Sea, Dave, Joe Caleb and Johnny Leslie
Performed by Dave & Central Sea
Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chapple Music Limited and Cobalt Music Publishing
Amazon Music Rising Star Award
Masterpiece
Best Original Film Score
Poor thing
Composer: Jarskine Fendrix
Music published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Best Original Video Game Score
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Composer: Stephen Burton, Gordy Herb
Music published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing
Best TV Soundtrack
The following events are based on a series of lies
Composed by Arthur Sharp
Music published in the UK by BDi Music and Sister Pictures and Rights Worldwide
Academy Fellowship
Bruce Springsteen
Amazon Music Songwriter of the Year
Ray
Special International
Lana Del Rey
Amazon Music Visionary Award
Skepta
Outstanding contribution to British music
Bernie Taupin
Outstanding collection of music from PRS FOR MUSIC
KT Tunstall