‘I’m hardly Bob Dylan’: Charli XCX wins songwriter of the year
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Charli XCX leads Ivor Novello Awards with humor, heart, and hit songwriting.
Charli XCX took home the prestigious Songwriter of the Year title at the Ivor Novello Awards in London, delivering a self-effacing speech that highlighted her wit as much as her lyrical prowess. Quoting her 2024 track Club Classics, she joked, “I wanna dance to me, me, me / When I go to the club, club, club,” before adding, “I’m sure you all agree, I am hardly Bob Dylan… but one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit.”
The British pop provocateur was recognized for her bold, genre-pushing album Brat, a record she described as “chaos and emotional turmoil set to a club soundtrack.” Its bright green cover and raw lyrical honesty made it a cultural phenomenon and the defining soundtrack of summer 2024.
Charli used her moment on stage to reflect on the art of songwriting. “A great song alone has never been enough to captivate an audience,” she said. “A song with a distinct identity and a point of view—paired with conviction—is what can catapult a songwriter from technically good to globally renowned.”
Other major winners at the event included Irish rock legends U2, who became the first band from Ireland to receive the Ivors Academy Fellowship, celebrating nearly five decades of music. On stage, Bono praised the enduring impact of songs, calling them “arrows through time” that can “pierce the hardest armour of the human heart.” Each band member shared their reflections, with drummer Larry Mullen Jr. humorously recalling that CBS Records once offered them a deal—on the condition that they fire him. “I may have counted to three instead of four,” he laughed, “but sometimes, trouble counting makes you a genius.”
Brandon Flowers of The Killers received the Special International Award, handed over personally by Bruce Springsteen. Flowers joked, “This feels like one giant step away from fulfilling my original dream of becoming the most sought-after valet on the Las Vegas strip.” Backstage, he called the moment “really cool” and said he was honored by Springsteen’s gesture.
Rising star awards went to Lola Young and Myles Smith. Young, honored for her breakout single Messy, reflected on her journey from writing songs at 10 to winning an Ivor. “This is such a big moment for the kid in my bedroom,” she told the BBC. She also shared that she had completed a new album and shot 12 music videos in a single day.
Smith’s track Stargazing was recognized as the most-played song on UK radio in the past year. He recalled the first time he heard it on the radio—in an Uber in New York. “I told the driver, ‘This is me,’ and he could not care less,” Smith said with a smile. “It was the best way to stay grounded.”
Robbie Williams received the Music Icon Award in recognition of his 34-year career, from his days in Take That to his solo success with hits like Angels and Feel. Backstage, Williams expressed emotional vulnerability: “It’s self-doubt and self-hatred mixed with ego and delusion… but I am very grateful.”
Other winners included indie heroes Bloc Party, who received the Outstanding Song Collection Award; Berwyn, whose debut album Who Am I won Best Album; and Orla Gartland, who took home Best Song Musically and Lyrically for Mine, a personal ballad about reclaiming bodily autonomy. Gartland celebrated her independence, noting, “I’m not sure a boardroom of old guys would have known what to do with this song.”
Self Esteem, winner of the Visionary Award, used her speech to call for better protections for women in the music industry. “People are foaming at the mouth to ridicule you,” she said, before thanking her parents for their support—even if her songs are “about shagging.”
The night was a powerful celebration of music’s diversity, depth, and lasting emotional reach.
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