Raye: My granddad was a songwriter who had a big hit stolen

Singer Raye took along her grandfather as she was honoured with a prestigious music industry award, saying that as a fellow songwriter he was proud to celebrate her achievements.

The 21-year-old London-born star also revealed that her granddad had also had a "big song" stolen in the past.

She spoke to Sky News as she became the first recipient of the BMI Awards impact prize on Monday night, "in recognition of her groundbreaking artistry, creative vision and impact on the future of music".

Best known for her collaborations with Jonas Blue, for By Your Side, and Jax Jones, for You Don't Know Me, both released in 2016, Raye came third on the BBC's Sound Of 2017 list and has worked as a songwriter and collaborator with everyone from Little Mix and David Guetta to Beyonce and Stormzy.

Speaking on the red carpet at the BMI Awards, she said it had been her dream to write songs ever since she was young.

"Since I was a baby, baby girl I wanted to be a songwriter," she said. "I said to my dad, I want to be a songwriter."

The singer then went on to explain why her award means so much to her, and her grandfather in particular.

"What's crazy is I have my granddad here with me who used to write songs and send them in to record labels," she said.

"He actually had a big song stolen from him - I can't say who by, I don't have the money to deal with the lawsuit.

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"But, you know, I come from a history of love and passion for music, and it's beautiful for him to see because he was a small Yorkshire lad, he couldn't really do anything about it.

"It's beautiful for him to see his granddaughter achieving an award like this."

Other winners at the ceremony included Noel Gallagher , who received the President's Award for his songwriting career with Oasis and the High Flying Birds, and former One Direction star Niall Horan , who picked up two gongs for two of his solo singles.