Richard Ashcroft took home the Outstanding Contribution to British Music prize at the 64th Ivor Novello Awards on Thursday (23.05.19).
The ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ hitmaker – who found fame in alternative rock band The Verve before launching a successful solo career in the late 1990s – took home the honour at the ceremony at the 64th Ivor Novello Awards held at the Grosvenor House, London.
Of his award, he told BANG Showbiz: "I thought it was worded a different way, I thought it was lifetime achievement, I said lifetime achievement? Give it another decade if I’m still around but yeah I’m honoured to be here, a great award, fantastic."
And Richard has quipped he is really excited about earning a second Ivor Novello Award, having originally picked one up for Songwriter of the Year in 1998, as now his two awards will be symmetrical now.
He joked: "I’ll never forget being at The Ivors 20 years ago with my wife for ‘Drugs Don’t Work’. I put a hole in the original award trying to put a nail in – I’m sorry Ivors – but it is a weighty award. don’t know if you’ve ever held an Ivor. It’s probably the most aesthetically pleasing and also weighty award I think out there so there’s another reason to win one. I like symmetry as well so I’ve got two now so that’s cool."
Elsewhere at the ceremony, pop star Mariah Carey won the PRS for Music Special International Award whilst grime star Wiley won the Ivors Inspiration Award. The 1975 – George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald – won Songwriters of the Year.
The Academy said of their award: "All at once daring, vulnerable and recklessly honest, The 1975’s songwriting on ‘A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships’ stands out as a vivid picture of modernity.
"These songs are a quintessential snapshot of the emotional complexities of life in the here and now, but with all the hallmarks of a body of work that will stand the test of time."
‘White Flag’ hitmaker Dido won the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection whilst the International Achievement award went to the Deep Purple Mark II line-up – Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord (posthumously) and Ian Paice.
The full list of winners at the 64th Ivor Novello Awards are as follows:
PRS for Music Most Performed Work
‘These Days’
Written by Julian Bunetta, Dan Caplen, Macklemore, John Ryan and Jamie Scott.
Performed by Rudimental ft Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen.
Published in the UK by Big Deal Music – Peermusic UK, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing
Best Original Video Game Score – ‘Sea of Thieves’
Composed by Robin Beanland
Best Contemporary Song –
‘Love It If We Made It’
Written by George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald
Performed by The 1975
Published in the UK by Good Soldier Songs
The Ivors Jazz Award
Django Bates
Best Album
‘Joy As An Act of Resistance’
Written by Jonathan Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan and Joseph Talbot
Performed by Idles
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing
Best Original Film Score
‘Phantom Thread’
Composed by Jonny Greenwood
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell North America Limited
PRS for Music Special International Award
Mariah Carey
Best Television Soundtrack
‘Requiem’
Composed by Natasha Khan and Dominik Scherrer
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management, Du Vinage Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Best Song Musically and Lyrically
‘Nica Libres at Dusk’
Written by Ben Howard
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Limited
The Ivors Inspiration Award
Wiley
Songwriters of the Year
George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald (The 1975)
Outstanding Song Collection
Dido
International Achievement
Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord (posthumous) and Ian Paice (Deep Purple – mark II line-up)
PRS for Outstanding Contribution to British Music
Richard Ashcroft