STING, WET LEG, RAYE AMONG 2023 IVORS HONOREES

The Ivors Academy unveiled the winners of this year’s Ivor Novello Awards with sponsor Amazon Music at Grosvenor House in London on 5/18. Thirty songwriters and composers collected Ivor Novello Awards in 14 categories in recognition of "outstanding achievements in songwriting and composing for screen."

Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers earned the Songwriter of the Year Award, Raye, 070 Shake and Mike Sabath took home Best Contemporary Song for "Escapism," Charli XCX was bestowed the Visionary Award and Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson won the PRS for Music Most Performed Work award for their collaboration "As It Was."

Sting, meanwhile, officially received his Fellowship of The Ivors Academy honor, which was announced in February. Additionally, Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein received the Special International Award. Sault, Florence + The Machine, Jack Antonoff, Victoria Canal and James also took home some hardware. Sting, Raye and Matilda Mann performed.

To coincide with the event, Mann, Henry Moodie and Kurt Vile released new Amazon Originals in homage to three of the 2023 winners: Mann covered Blondie’s “Heart of Glass," Moodie did Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” and Vile reinterpreted Charli XCX’s “Constant Repeat."

“On behalf of The Ivors Academy of songwriters and composers I wholeheartedly congratulate all of our winners," Ivors Academy Chair Tom Gray said. "When we choose to reward one of our number, when we recognize and validate their work, we are saying that as an Ivor Novello award winner, you represent the very best of us.”

They have yet to recognize the best of us, likely because that doesn't exist.