Ivor Novello Awards: Harry Styles wins, Raye calls out music industry greed

Pop prima Raye utilized the Ivor Novello Awards to situation a country afloat of grounds statement executives to wage songwriters much fairly.

Her comments came arsenic she accepted the prize for champion modern song.

"It would beryllium an insult to suggest that you spell to enactment for free," she told the audience. "And it's an insult that you deliberation songwriters should bash the same."

Her comments were echoed by Chic prima Nile Rodgers who told them BBC writers' wage hadn't accrued for "75 years".

"I mean, travel on, if you enactment astatine a pizza shop, you're going to get a rise successful 75 years," helium said.

The contented has go a flashpoint for the euphony industry, prompting a reappraisal of the streaming system by the British parliament successful 2021.

In their findings, the DCMS Select committee called for a "complete reset" of the market, saying that grounds labels were making "significant profits" portion writers and performers were "losing out".

Raye has been an outspoken professional of the manufacture aft spending astir a decennary successful grounds statement penury, incapable to merchandise an medium without their say-so.

The 25-year-old divided with Polydor successful 2021 and went connected to people her archetypal ever fig 1 azygous with Escapism, a opus they had refused to merchandise due to the fact that it was deemed uncommercial.

Written erstwhile she was astatine her lowest ebb, the opus has present earned her an Ivor Novello Award, and she utilized the accidental to rise the contented of payment.

She noted that songwriters aren't entitled to a azygous penny of an artist's royalties erstwhile they constitute a deed song, portion producers regularly get a 4% share.

"The grounds manufacture is making much wealth than it has successful the past 30 years, funded by songs that they aren't paying for," she explained to the BBC backstage.

"So I'm going to beryllium a breached grounds astir this until thing changes."

The Ivors, arsenic they're known, are the awards the astir musicians privation to win, due to the fact that they recognise accomplishment successful songwriting, alternatively than axenic commercialized sales.

"It's 1 of the lone awards that honours artists for being artists connected a deeper level than conscionable however large you are," said rapper Kojey Radical, whose azygous Payback was besides nominated for champion modern song.

This year's ceremonial saw Harry Styles' As It Was named the most-performed opus of the year, portion black-centric euphony corporate Sault won medium of the twelvemonth for 11.

Charli XCX was fixed the visionary award, successful designation of the "massive impact" her euphony has had connected the industry.

The prima has emerged arsenic 1 of Britain's astir cutting-edge writers, pushing pop's boundaries with an instinct for experimental and provocative production.

In her acceptance speech, the star, whose hits see Boom Clap, 1999 and Beg For You, said she had pursued a philharmonic vocation due to the fact that she felt similar an outsider.

"Now," she joked, "I consciousness similar an outsider with a dense award."

But backstage, she said the designation meant a large deal.

"It's funny, successful past interviews I've been like, 'I'm a visionary, I'm the best', and played the portion of this braggy character.

"But actually, to get this statue is thing I ne'er thought I would happen.

"It's chill to beryllium capable to get this benignant of accolade connected my ain terms, without having to marque excessively galore sacrifices."

Sting received the Fellowship of the Academy - the organisation's highest honour - successful designation of a songbook that includes indelible hits similar Every Breath You Take, Roxanne, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Englishman In New York.

But adjacent aft selling 100 cardinal albums, the prima said songwriting was inactive an workout successful surrender.

"Every clip I look astatine a blank page, I'm filled with a mortal terror. I don't rather cognize however I constitute songs, but I do. It's a mystery."

He was accompanied connected the reddish carpet by his wife, Trudie Styler, who was asked to sanction her favourite Sting song.

"There's truthful galore but I deliberation Fields Of Gold is 1 I'm precise adjacent to," she said.

"That's due to the fact that it's astir you!" her hubby joked.

Madchester set James were fixed the Icon Award, recognising a assemblage of enactment that includes hits similar Laid, She's A Star and Sit Down; portion the Special International Award celebrated the outstanding vocation of Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein.

Indie rockers Wet Leg followed their occurrence astatine this year's Grammy and Brit Awards by being named songwriters of the year.

Judges praised the duo's self-titled debut medium arsenic "fresh, unapologetic and direct, with astonishing melodies that request attention".

Best opus musically and lyrically went to King by Florence + the Machine, successful which Florence Welch discussed the situation of balancing her vocation with the tendency to commencement a family, and the unrealistic expectations placed connected women.

Best video crippled soundtrack went to manufacture fable Grant Kirkhope, who has gone from scoring 64-bit games similar Goldeneye and Banjo Kazooie to the caller Mario + Rabbids game, Sparks Of Hope, for which helium picked up his prize.

Hannah Peel won champion tv Soundtrack for her enactment connected Sky's sci-fi play The Midwich Cuckool, portion John Powell took location champion archetypal movie people for Don't Worry Darling.

The afloat database of winners and nominees is arsenic follows:

Best opus musically and lyrically

Best tv soundtrack