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Bruce Springsteen among Ivor Novello Awards honourees

Updated / Friday, 24 May 2024 11:54
Bruce Springsteen made history with his Ivors Academy Fellowship, the first international songwriter to be inducted into the fellowship
Bruce Springsteen made history with his Ivors Academy Fellowship, the first international songwriter to be inducted into the fellowship

Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, and the British singer-songwriter Raye have all been honoured at the 2024 Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting and composing at Grosvenor House in London.

Springsteen made history with his Ivors Academy Fellowship, the first international songwriter to be inducted into the fellowship.

He follows in the footsteps of Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Kate Bush, who have been given the body's highest honour.

On the night, McCartney presented Springsteen with the honour.

McCartney joked "unlike Bruce's concerts" he was "going to keep this brief", and then added that he could not think of anyone better, except songwriters including Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, and Beyoncé.

McCartney added that Springsteen was a "lovely, lovely boy" and also called him a "friend".

Accepting his fellowship from McCartney, Springsteen reflected on not being able to find burgers in the UK when he arrived for his first gig decades ago.

"Cheeseburgers were replaced by something called fish and chips," he said.

"It was a little disconcerting."

Springsteen joked that if London was not ready for burgers, they were not "ready" for him.

He also said he "yearned to be British" and fans keep him "invested" in the UK.

Springsteen said he wondered before he came to the UK: "What do I have that I can conceivably give back to those who gave me so much?"

He said he wanted to "thank you for taking me in the cultural life of the UK" and "for seeing me as yours".

The 2024 Special International award celebrated the career and influence of Springsteen's fellow American artist Lana Del Rey.

Del Rey used her speech to call out a rise in relationship-based "violence" in America.

After receiving a standing ovation, she told the audience that people thought she was "navel gazing" while singing about her experience of "challenging relationships".

Del Rey added: "I think what we've seen is that, like... those songs were not written about a small microcosm of people and women. We're seeing a huge amount of things written about difficult relationships.

"And even when Covid began, the second epidemic in the United States [we saw for] interpersonal relationships violence, it increased by 300%.

"So, you know, I just think it's amazing that female singer-songwriters, you know, have the freedom to write about absolutely whatever they want."

Also at the ceremony, London-born Raye capped off her incredible recent run of successes by being presented with the Songwriter of the Year prize.

The 26-year-old was described by Ivor judges as having "the voice of a generation" after the release of her chart-topping album, My 21st Century Blues.

She previously made history at the Brits in March, where she won six awards, the most of any artist in one year, including Album of the Year.

However, at the Ivor Novellos, she lost out on Best Album to Black Classical Music, written by Yussef Dayes, Rocco Palladino, and Charlie Stacey.

The Rising Star award was given to the new-wave indie artist Master Peace.

Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin was honoured with the Ivor Novello for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.

Scottish singer KT Tunstall picked up her gong for Outstanding Song Collection.

The Most Performed Work award went to London-born rappers Dave and Central Cee for the UK’s biggest song of 2023, Sprinter.

Grime star Skepta picked up the Visionary award.

London jazz ensemble Speakers Corner Quartet and poet Kae Tempest won their first Ivor Novello when Geronimo Blues was named Best Contemporary Song.

The 2023 Rising Star recipient, Victoria Canal, won Best Song Musically and Lyrically for Black Swan alongside Jonny Lattimer, and Eg White. The 25-year-old German-born musician, who has lived in Spain and the US, also performed her track on the evening.

The winner of the Best Original Film Score award was the Oscar-nominated British composer Jerskin Fendrix and his music for the surreal black comedy Poor Things.

Arthur Sharpe won the Best Television Soundtrack award for the BBC comedy-drama The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies.

Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab won the Best Original Video Game Score award for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Source: Press Association

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