Ivor Novello Awards 2019: The 1975 land double win as Richard Ashcroft picks up Outstanding Contribution award

The 1975 scored a double win at the Ivor Novello Awards 2019, picking up awards for Best Contemporary Song and Songwriters of the Year.

Matt Healy and bandmates George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald’s hit Love It If We Made It saw off competition from the likes of Jorja Smith and Ghetts in the Best Song category.

The group was also hailed by the Ivors Academy for their “daring, vulnerable and recklessly honest” songwriting on their album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.

“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,” the judges said.

Former Verve star Richard Ashcroft was recognised in the Outstanding Contribution to British Music category.

After winning the award, Ashcroft released a statement confirming that the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have “agreed to give me their share of the song Bitter Sweet Symphony.

“This remarkable and life affirming turn of events was made possible by a king and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me,” he said.

Three-time nominee Ben Howard picked up his first Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for Nica Libres at Dusk, while Dido received the Outstanding Song Collection trophy.

Other winners at today’s event included Idles, who landed the Best Album award and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, who was recognised for his soundtrack to the 2018 film Phantom Thread.

Mariah Carey received the PRS for Musical Special International Award, acknowledging her status as “an extraordinary global talent," while grime star Wiley picked up a special Inspiration award.

The prestigious awards were handed out at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House earlier today.

The awards are now in their 64th year and celebrate excellence in British and Irish songwriting.

A full list of winners can be found below.

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

These Days - Rudimental ft. Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen

Best Original Video Game Score

Sea of Thieves - Robin Beanland

Best Contemporary Song

Love It If We Made It - The 1975

The Ivors Jazz Award

Django Bates

Best Album

Joy As An Act of Resistance - Idles

Best Original Film Score

Phantom Thread - Jonny Greenwood

PRS for Music Special International Award

Mariah Carey

Best Television Soundtrack

Requiem - Natasha Khan and Dominik Scherrer

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

Nica Libres at Dusk - Ben Howard

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 Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music

Richard Ashcroft