Sam Fender, Rosalía, and Jacob Alon Triumph at Ivor Novello Awards

The Ivor Novello Awards, which honor songwriting excellence in the UK music industry, were held at London's Grosvenor House. Sam Fender won Songwriter of the Year for his albums 'People Watching' and 'Seventeen Going Under', praised for his 'sharp social commentary and emotionally honest songwriting'. Rosalía received the International Songwriter of the Year award for her genre-melding album 'Lux', using her acceptance speech to advocate for diverse songwriting voices. Jacob Alon won Best Song Musically and Lyrically for 'Don't Fall Asleep', also taking home the Rising Star award. Sir Elton John was named the first-ever president of the Ivors Academy, receiving a special honour from Lola Young, who won Most Performed Work for 'Messy'. Lily Allen received the Outstanding Song Collection award for her catalogue including 'Smile' and 'LDN'. Calvin Harris was awarded the Music Icon Award for shaping contemporary dance and pop. The late George Michael was posthumously inducted into the Academy Fellowship, with his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley accepting. Thom Yorke also received the Fellowship, presented by Harry Styles. Kano won the Visionary Award, presented by Dave. Other winners included Kae Tempest for Best Contemporary Song, CMAT for Best Album, and Linda Perry for Special International Award. AI's role in music was a recurring theme, with Sir Elton John warning against allowing AI to take away creators' work.