The 61st Ivor Novello Awards 2016 for songwriting was a celebration of music which helped shape and culturally define our time.
These artists created the soundtrack to our lives and evolutions of style. From Simple Minds in the 80s, to 90s and beyond with Happy Mondays, Portishead, Snow Patrol (Gary Lightbody and Johnny McDaid), Blur and Gorillaz (Damon Albarn).
We listened to tribute speeches and collections of music videos spanning decades, each song filling us with a different memory of our lives, and reminding us what pioneers they were.
The Ivors celebrated songwriters old and new. A few of my favourites take us back to iconic styles of the 80s and 90s. Being a Stylist I just had to share these music videos for the style inspiration! Quotes and snippets from the Awards follow:
OUTSTANDING SONG COLLECTION - Simple Minds
Damon Albarn paid tribute to Simple Minds during his acceptance speech for Lifetime Achievement Award:
“Looking back on it now I loved pretending that I was in U2, but I just think that Simple Minds were cooler. ‘Promised You A Miracle’ - I listened to it when I started doing this new Gorillaz record and it just blew my mind.”
“You might say they had nothing else in their lives... Well, as tower-block kids from Glasgow, neither did we. This was the thing, and the core was music, trying to get that dynamic where the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It’s still wired to that.”
“For us, the world makes sense through music, and we escape through it, too.”
Looking dapper: Jim Kerr and Simple Minds before receiving their Outstanding Song Collection Award at The Ivors 2016 (Image Stylist's own).
Jim Kerr's banter with Creation Founder Alan McGee who paid tribute to Happy Mondays had us laughing:
“In 1988 and 1989, music was really boring. These guys came along and changed it. Suddenly it was okay for DJs to work with bands.”
“Alan McGee it’s a good job you weren’t on our table when you said nothing was happening in 1989 - I’d have chinned you. I’ll see you in the park in about an hour’s time.”
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award at The Ivors 2016 (Image Mark Allen)
Before the award presentations I ran into Damon Albarn and as a Personal Stylist the first thing I noticed were his pink Converse shoes! Later, we were brought to laughter again when bandmate from Blur Graham Coxon, in his tribute to Damon, poked fun at his style choice:
“The first time I saw him, he was shouting ‘I’ve got a social disease’ in a school as he gave a very energetic performance in a school assembly. I thought ‘this boy’s got some nerve’. He told me that I had crap shoes, but as you can see I got my own back today.”
Damon Albarn receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award at The Ivors 2016:
“True songwriters are people who are able to release themselves from something that’s really affected them by writing a song about it.”
“At the end of the day, if you’re not connected to the spirit you’re not making true music.”
BEST SONG MUSICALLY & LYRICALLY - Gary Lightbody & Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol nominees
The Ivors also honoured songwriters who've contributed to writing songs performed by other artists. Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and Johnny McDaid were honoured with a nomination for their work with Ed Shearan and Rudimental on Bloodstream.
In 2005 when Snow Patrol won an Ivor Novello Album Award for Final Straw they weren't able to attend to collect it, making this year's Ivor Novello Awards the first the group were able to attend including Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, Johnny McDaid and Jonny Quinn. While we anticipate the next Snow Patrol album they told us we can expect it soon, most likely in 2017.
INSPIRATION AWARD - Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays were the first band to bring the underground 90s dance scene to their music. To inspire everyone to dance they even brought dancer Bez into the band to show us how it's done. Completely changing the landscape of music at the time, promoting a dance culture which brought people of different backgrounds together.
From Oasis' Noel Gallagher to countless bands the Happy Mondays have been an inspiration, influencing artists from Robbie Williams to Kasabian.
PRS FOR MUSIC OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH MUSIC - Portishead
Retaining an air of mystery by famously not giving interviews Portishead's Beth Gibbons, sticks her fingers up at us, tongue-in-cheek, grinning ear to ear as bandmate Geoff Barrow collects the award:
“I don’t believe you can judge music but I’ve been brought up here. You can’t judge it, it’s just f***ing wrong. I’m not going to say thank you because I don’t believe in these things and Beth (Gibbons) doesn’t talk anyway so we’re the perfect band for this event.”
The press reported Barrow as being ungrateful although to me they seemed more playful. Regardless, if there was ever a band 'too cool' for anything, surely it would be Portishead? In an age where artists 'Instagram their breakfast' (as the Ivors programme writes) thanks Portishead for keeping the fantasy alive.
Speaking of Instagramming our food…
Special thanks to Grosvenor House, Park Lane, for their hospitality and dining experience (with vegan option)!
For more photos from The Ivor Novello Awards 2016 please visit my Instagram @marikapage_fashion_stylist
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(Written for Huffington Post UK Style).