Sting leads Ivor Novellos 2023 winners

Sting, James, Harry Styles and Raye were among the winners at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards with Amazon Music.

The former Police frontman performed a special rendition of his song ‘Message in a Bottle’ at the ceremony held at the Grosvenor House hotel in London on Thursday (18.05.23) as he was honoured with the prestigious Fellowship of The Ivors Academy, joining the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush in receiving the accolade

Raye performed ‘Escapism’, and she and her co-writers 070 Shake and Mike Sabath won the award for Best Contemporary Song for the track.

An emotional Raye was reduced to tears as she was handed her gong, and she used her acceptance speech to urge major record labels to do more to help songwriters earn more for their work.

She said: “I’ve really fought really hard [for this]… I started my songwriting career when I was 14 years old after school at BRITs School… I was like I just need to be the best I can be. I saw one of these [awards] at 15 and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ So this is ridiculous.

“I have to take this opportunity to address all the major label representatives in this room. It would be an insult to suggest that you go to work for free, it’s an insult that you think that songwriters should do the same. It’s time … Songwriters are the beating heart of this industry and it’s time to show songwriters respect, I had to use this opportunity to say this.

“Thank you so much to the Ivors Academy.”

Matilda Mann also sang, treating the audience to a cover of Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’ in honour of the group’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein receiving the Special International Award.

British indie band James – comprising Tim Booth, Saul Davies, Jim Glennie, Larry Gott and Mark Hunter - scooped the PRS for Music Icon Award.

Speaking on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, Tim quipped to BANG Showbiz and other media about the honour: “Every day I get up and look in the mirror and go, ‘There goes an icon.’”

Insisting that the focus for the group is to keep making new music and not allowing themselves to become a heritage act that only plays their greatest hits on tour, he added: “We don’t look back. We never listen to our back catalogue, we’re always looking forward.

“We think one of the best records we made was the last record and we keep being bloody-minded and we change the set at every gig and we play a lot of new songs and our audience get it and the ones that don’t they don’t and they don’t come and we’re happy with that and we’ve always been happy with that …

“We’ve always been like, ‘People will catch up with great music, so just do your thing and they will come to you in the end.”

Other winners included Charli XCX, who scooped the Visionary Award with Amazon Music, Little Mix, Dua Lipa and The Saturdays’ songwriter Kamille, who was honoured with the Outstanding Song Collection award, and Victoria Canal, who took home the Rising Star Award with Amazon Music.

The 2023 Ivor Novello Awards with Amazon Music winners:

Academy Fellowship:

Sting

Best Album:

‘11’

Written by Dean ‘Inflo’ Josiah Cover, Jamar McNaughton, Cleopatra Nikolic and Jack Peñate

Performed by SAULT

Published in the UK by Copyright Control and Sentric Music

Best Contemporary Song:

‘Escapism’

Written by 070 Shake, Raye and Mike Sabath

Performed by Raye and 070 Shake

Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music

Best Original Film Score:

‘Don’t Worry Darling’

Composed by John Powell

Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing

Best Original Video Game Score:

‘Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’

Composed by Gareth Coker, Grant Kirkhope and Yoko Shimomura

Best Song Musically and Lyrically:

‘King’

Written by Jack Antonoff and Florence Welch

Performed by Florence + The Machine

Published in the UK by Ducky Donath Music-Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing

Best Television Soundtrack:

‘The Midwich Cuckoos’

Composed by Hannah Peel

Published in the UK by SATV Publishing

Outstanding Song Collection:

Kamille

PRS for Music Icon Award:

Tim Booth, Saul Davies, Jim Glennie, Larry Gott and Mark Hunter for James

PRS for Music Most Performed Work:

‘As It Was’

Written by Kid Harpoon,Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles

Performed by Harry Styles

Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Pulse Songs-Concord Music Publishing

Rising Star Award with Amazon Music:

Victoria Canal

Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music:

Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers

Special International Award:

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein

Visionary Award with Amazon Music:

Charli XCX