Stefflon Don was honoured with the Vanguard Award at the ASCAP London Music Awards on Tuesday (23.10.18).
The 26-year-old rapper received the prestigious gong – which recognises the impact of outstanding ASCAP members that are helping to shape the future of music – during the awards evening held at One Marylebone by The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
Speaking as she accepted her award, Stefflon said: "I just want to thank ASCAP so much for giving me this award, it means a lot and for them to think that I’m going to be part of the musical future is beautiful.
"I want to say thank you to everybody who has always believed in me I hope you are going to continue to shine and continue to do bigger and better things, I can’t wait for next year for you guys to hear all the big releases I’ve got coming."
And the ‘Calypso’ hitmaker – who also opened the ceremony with a performance of her hit single ‘Hurtin’ Me’ – hopes the trophy will open doors for her, after "big sensation" Dua Lipa was handed the honour last year.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz on the red carpet, she said: "It feels good to be appreciated. Dua Lipa won here last year and she’s a big thing now, a big sensation so this does mean a lot."
Alongside Stefflon, Tom Walker – who performed his track ‘Leave a Light On’ – was also given a Vanguard Award.
Elsewhere in the evening, Steve Mac was the biggest winner as he took home seven awards, including Song of the Year and Top Digital Song for Ed Sheeran’s smash hit ‘Shape of You’, which peaked at number one in the singles charts of 34 countries.
The musician and record producer also scored three awards in the Hot 100 Winning Songs category, for ‘Strip That Down’ by Liam Payne, ‘What About Us’ by Pink, and Clean Bandit track ‘Rockabye’.
ASCAP Awards 2018 full winners list:
ASCAP Vanguard Award
Stefflon Don
ASCAP Vanguard Award
Tom Walker
ASCAP Song of the Year
Steve Mac – ‘Shape of You’ by Ed Sheeran
ASCAP Top Digital Song
Steve Mac – ‘Shape of You’ by Ed Sheeran
ASCAP Top EDM Song
Steven "Lenky" Marsden – ‘Let Me Love You’ by DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber
ASCAP Film Score of the Year
Lorne Balfe – ‘The Lego Batman Movie’
ASCAP Hot 100 Winning Songs
Steven "Lenky" Marsden – ‘Let Me Love You’ by DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber
Steve Mac – ‘Strip That Down’ by Liam Payne ft. Quavo
Steve Mac – ‘Rockabye’ by Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie
Steve Mac – ‘What About Us’ by Pink
ASCAP EDM Winning Songs
Maya Jane Coles & Duke Dumont – ‘Swish Swish’ by Katy Perry ft. Nicki Minaj
Andre Gray, Mikkel Eriksen & Tor Hermansen (Stargate) – ‘Run Up’ by Major Lazer ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR & Nicki Minaj
Fabienne Holloway & Tristan Landymore – ‘Get Low’ by Zedd ft. Liam Payne
Jax Jones, Raye & MNEK – ‘You Don’t Know Me’ by Jax Jones ft. Raye
Steve Mac – ‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson
Steve Mac – ‘Rockabye’ by Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie
ASCAP Top Film Awards
Lorne Balfe – ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘Geostorm’
Patrick Doyle – ‘Murder on The Orient Express’ (2017), ‘The Emoji Movie’
Dario Marianelli – ‘Darkest Hour’
Daniel Pemberton – ‘Molly’s Game’, ‘All the Money in the World’, ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’
ASCAP Top Television Series Award
Daniel McGrath & Josh Phillips – ‘Dancing with the Stars’