Sam Fender, Rosalía and Jacob Alon claimed major honours at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards

Sam Fender, Rosalía and Jacob Alon emerged among the biggest winners at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards, on a night that celebrated songwriting excellence while amplifying growing concerns about artificial intelligence’s impact on music creators.

Held in London, the ceremony honoured some of the most influential voices in contemporary music, with Sir Elton John also receiving a landmark distinction after becoming the Ivors Academy’s first-ever president.

Geordie musician Sam Fender collected the prestigious songwriter of the year award.

Organisers praised him as one of the defining voices in modern British songwriting, recognising work marked by emotional honesty and sharp social observation. Fender’s catalogue, including People Watching and Seventeen Going Under, helped cement his standing among Britain’s leading contemporary artists.

Rosalía also secured one of the evening’s highest honours.

The Catalan performer received the international songwriter of the year award after officials credited her with reshaping modern songwriting through genre-crossing, multilingual and experimental work.

During her acceptance speech, Rosalía used the spotlight to raise questions about recognition, privilege and access within the music industry.

She argued that many talented writers remain overlooked because they lack the social stability or background that can help transform creative ability into professional success. Her remarks highlighted concerns about representation and inequality in creative industries.

Scottish alt-folk musician Jacob Alon delivered one of the night’s strongest performances in the awards race.

Alon beat competitors including Self Esteem and Wolf Alice to win best song musically and lyrically for Don’t Fall Asleep. The artist also secured a second victory by taking home the rising star prize.

Elsewhere, Lola Young won the most performed work category for her track Messy.

The singer also played a key role in one of the ceremony’s major moments by presenting Sir Elton John with a special honour recognising his long-standing support for songwriters, composers and creative rights across the industry.

Sir Elton’s new appointment carries significant symbolic weight.

As the academy’s inaugural president, he will represent a global network of songwriters and composers while advocating for recognition, rights and the value of musical creation worldwide. During his remarks, he celebrated Britain’s songwriting legacy but quickly turned attention toward a subject dominating conversation across the industry: artificial intelligence.

AI emerged as a recurring concern throughout the evening.

Sir Elton urged musicians to protect ownership of their work, telling the audience that music belongs to its creators because it comes from personal expression and lived experience.

“And don’t let people take it away from you, especially AI,” he warned.

Other major honours reflected the breadth of songwriting achievement across genres and generations.

Lily Allen received the outstanding song collection award, recognised for a body of work that organisers said helped shape British pop culture over the last two decades through songs including Smile, LDN and Madeline.

DJ and producer Calvin Harris collected the music icon award for his influence on modern dance and pop music. The award recognised a career built through high-profile collaborations and enduring commercial impact. Harris lightened the mood by joking about beginning his DJ ambitions through MySpace before thanking his wife, presenter Vick Hope.

The ceremony also paid tribute to songwriting history.

George Michael received a posthumous fellowship from the Ivors Academy, a decade after his death. The honour places the former Wham! star and solo artist alongside past recipients recognised for exceptional impact on music creation.

By the end of the night, celebration, reflection and warnings about the future of creativity had collided with songwriting itself remaining firmly at the centre of the conversation.