Bruce Springsteen received the top honor at the 2024 Ivor Novello Awards, becoming the first international artist to be awarded an Academy fellowship. Paul McCartney presented the award in a playful and heartfelt speech, saying, “I couldn’t think of a more fitting recipient,” and humorously adding, “Except maybe Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift.” Reflecting on their 2022 Glastonbury performance, McCartney called Springsteen “a lovely boy.”
In his acceptance speech, Springsteen shared a recent experience with the quintessentially British weather during a live performance in Sunderland. “We came out last night, and I was like: what is this weather? Driving rain, wind roaring. But standing in front of me, in the rain, I realized: these are my people,” he said.
Raye continued her streak of success, being named Songwriter of the Year. This follows her record-breaking six-category win at the Brit Awards in March, where she championed songwriters’ rights. Her album, My 21st Century Blues, reached No. 2 in the UK and produced the chart-topping single “Escapism.” The Ivors judges described her as the “voice of a generation.”
Jazz drummer Yussef Dayes won Best Album for Black Classical Music, surprising many given its predominantly instrumental nature. Judges praised its “narrative arc that propels the listener forward.” Dayes has been a celebrated figure in London’s jazz scene, culminating in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Victoria Canal’s piano-based lament “Black Swan” won Best Song Musically and Lyrically, praised for its lyrical metaphors and musical structure. Canal won the Rising Star award last year, with this year’s title going to versatile indie-popper Master Peace.
Speakers Corner Quartet won Best Contemporary Song for “Geronimo Blues,” featuring Kae Tempest’s reflective lyrics on contemporary life and politics. Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” won Most Performed Work, celebrating its status as the summer hit of 2023.
Jerskin Fendrix, from south London’s alternative music scene, won Best Original Film Score for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. Other winners included Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for the video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Arthur Sharpe for the television soundtrack of The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies.
Lifetime achievement awards went to Lana Del Rey, Skepta, KT Tunstall, and Bernie Taupin. The Ivors Academy, composed of songwriters and composers, voted on the awards. Academy chair Tom Gray remarked, “We know that because they are chosen by our peers, our awards are incredibly meaningful to their recipients.”
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