Celeste, Obongjayar, Dave and Fraser T Smith win at Ivor Novello awards 2021

Picking up the award for Best Contemporary Song, Dave and Fraser T Smith's "Children of the Internet", beat Ashnikko, Pa Salieu, Rachel Chinouriri and For Those I Love. Smith made a name for himself after working on Stormzy and Dave’s debuts, as well as Kano’s Made in the Manor. His Future Utopia project released its 12 Questions record last autumn, which included collaborations with Es Devlin, Bastille and Kojey Radical. Central to the record was the politically-charge collaboration with Dave. "The journey was a two year journey making this record," said Smith, accepting the award. Dave was absent in the US, with Smith paying tribute to his genius as he walked off stage.

Obongjayar's "God's Own Children” was named Best Song Musically and Lyrically, winning against Headie One & Fred Again's "Gang", Obongjayar's "God's Own Children”, Marina's “Man's World", Arlo Parks' "Black Dog" and Celeste's “Stop This Flame”. "I wasnt expecting to win this at all," a pink-and-black suited Obongjayar said, "i was quite happy to win best-dressed."

"That man is a creative genius," added Barney Lister, co-writer of "God's Own Children"

The ceremony's biggest award saw Celeste and Jamie Hartman named Songwriters of the Year while Lianne La Havas triumphed over Fontaines DC, Pa Salieu, Laura Marling, and Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes to take home the award for Best Album, for 2020's self-titled third studio album.

Delivering her speech through tears, LaHavas - clearly shocked - left it to her longtime-collaborator Matt Hales - similarly bewildered - to pick up the speech: "The thing you dream of is making music that matters to other people as much as you," said Hales.

Harry Styles - nominated three times across two categories alongside co-writer Kid Harpoon - took home the PRS for Music Most Performed Work award for "Adore You", also written with Amy Allen and Tyler Johnson. "Harry made me feel comfortable and validated from day one in the studio," said Allen, picking up the award in Styles' abscence.

Mysie named Best Fit favourite 19-year-Willow Kanye as the Rising Star winner, taking home the award in a category that included Allegra, Holly Humberstone, Kamal and Rachel Chinouriri.

Introducing the awards, Crispin Hunt, chair of The Ivors Academy paid tribute to the "hours of darkness" that were made bearable by music. "You writers are the most important people in music," Hunt told the industry audience, to massive applause. "It's our job to assert the sovereignty of a song..."

"Publishing is the music model of the future," Hunt asserted. "That's how we safeguard our cultural inheritance."

ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus also spoke at the awards in support of Credits Due, a new initiative aimed at making sure every song made has the correct metadata: "It means you will get credit, it means you will get paid," explained Ulvaeus.

Also paying tribute to huge amount of his fellow songwriters in the room, the ABBA legend joked: "We can all write a song tonight. "These days there's no limit to the number of writers that can work on a song... Writing songs is the best there is. Nothing compares to that....well, sex of course!"

The full list of winners for The Ivors 2021 are

AJ Tracey
Celeste and Jamie Hartman
Kamille
Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles
MNEK

Fontaines DC, A Hero's Death
Lianne La Havas, Lianne La Havas
Pa Salieu, Send Them to Coventry
Laura Marling, Song for our Daughter
Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes, What Kinda Music

Dave and Fraser T Smith, “Children Of The Internet”
Ashnikko, “Daisy”
Pa Salieu, “Energy”
Rachel Chinouriri, “Give Me A Reason”
For Those I Love, “Top Scheme”

Arlo Parks, “Black Dog”
Headie One & Fred Again.., “Gang”
Obongjayar, “God's Own Children”
Marina, “Man's World”
Celeste, “Stop This Flame”

Harry Styles, “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar”
Lewis Capaldi, “Before You Go”
Joel Corry feat MNEK, “Head & Heart”
Lewis Capaldi, “Someone You Loved”

Blanck Mass, Calm With Horses
Anne Nikitin, Four Kids and It
Adam Janota Bzowski, Saint Maud
Daniel Pemberton, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eimear Noone,Two By Two: Overboard!

Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi, Ghost of Tsushima
Jessica Curry and Jim Fowler, Little Orpheus
Gareth Coker, Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar, A Suitable Boy
Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and the Insects, Devs
David Arnold and Michael Price, Dracula
Matthew Herbert, Noughts + Crosses
Oli Julian, Us

Allegra
Holly Humberstone
Kamal
Rachel Chinouriri
Willow Kayne

Goldfrapp

Mark-Anthony Turnage

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora