The night was anchored by monumental industry milestones, most notably the appointment of Sir Elton John as the Academy’s first-ever President. In a surprise moment, Elton John also received an Ivors Academy Honour for his dedication to creative rights. He later took the stage to present the coveted Songwriter of the Year award to Sam Fender, who has become one of the defining voices in modern British storytelling.
The Academy’s highest honour, the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, was bestowed upon Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke for his boundary-pushing contributions to alternative music. A posthumous Fellowship was also awarded to pop icon George Michael, collected by his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley exactly ten years after Michael’s passing.
Rising star Jacob Alon enjoyed a double-victory evening, walking away with both the Rising Star Award and Best Song Musically and Lyrically for his emotionally honest folk track “Don’t Fall Asleep.” Meanwhile, CMAT secured her first Ivor Novello win, taking home Best Album for her third record, Euro-Country.
In the international categories, Spanish innovator ROSALÍA was named International Songwriter of the Year following the global success of her album Lux. Veteran American songwriter Linda Perry received the Special International Award, celebrating more than three decades of era-defining pop hits.
Iconic electronic producer Calvin Harris was honored with the PRS for Music Icon Award, presented by Mike Pickering, while Lily Allen was celebrated for her Outstanding Song Collection. Grime pioneer Kano was recognized with the Visionary Award, presented by Dave.
The ceremony concluded with stripped-back performances from Thom Yorke and Jacob Alon. Skye Newman also performed a powerful rendition of “Careless Whisper” in tribute to George Michael, which will be released as an exclusive Amazon Music Original.
