Adele has been named Songwriter of the Year at the 57th Ivor Novello Awards, while Take That received the PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music gong and Siouxsie Sioux took The Ivors Inspiration Award.

Adele was also recognised in the PRS for Music Most Performed Work category, alongside Paul Epworth, for their song Rolling in the Deep. However, newcomer Ed Sheeran beat them to the Best Song Musically and Lyrically gong with hit single The A Team.

At the ceremony, which took place this afternoon at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London, PJ Harvey was awarded the coveted Album Award for Let England Shake, while Justin Parker and American artist Lana del Rey took the Best Contemporary Song Award for their ubiquitous Videogames.

Former Spandau Ballet guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp received the Outstanding Song Collection Award while piano legend Stan Tracey was recognised for his remarkable career spanning more than 60 years with The Ivors Jazz Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dire Straits’ Mark Knofler, while composer Alex Heffes took the award for Best Original Film Score for his work on The First Grader.
The Ivor Novello Awards celebrate, honour and reward excellence in songwriting and composing. They are presented by BASCA in association with PRS for Music and judged by the songwriting and composing community.

Previous winners include Sir Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Sting, Annie Lennox and Radiohead.

Full list of winners:

Best Contemporary Song
Video Games Written by: Lana Del Rey / Justin Parker. Performed by: Lana Del Rey.
UK Publishers: EMI Music Publishing / Sony/ATV Music Publishing

PRS for Music Most Performed Work
Rolling In The Deep  Written by: Adele Adkins / Paul Epworth. Performed by: Adele
UK Publishers: Universal Music Publishing / EMI Music Publishing

Best Television Soundtrack
The Shadow Line Composed by: Martin Phipps.
UK Publishers: Du Vinage Publishing Ltd

The Ivors Jazz Award
Stan Tracey

Album Award
Let England Shake Written and Performed by: PJ Harvey.
UK Publishers: EMI Music Publishing / Hot Head Music

Outstanding Song Collection 
Gary Kemp

The Ivors Inspiration Award
Siouxsie Sioux

Best Original Film Score
The First Grader Composed by: Alex Heffes
UK Publishers: Fintage Publishing BV / Resonant Music (1) Limited Partners

PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music
Take That

Best Song Musically and Lyrically
The A Team Written and Performed by: Ed Sheeran
UK Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Lifetime Achievement
Mark Knopfler

Songwriter of the Year
Adele Adkins

PRS for Music Special International Award 
Jimmy Webb

The Ivors Fellowship
Andrew Lloyd Webber

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Rory Doherty (guitar), Daniel Frau (vocals, guitar), Rocky Wadhawan (bass), Jerome Foreman (drums) dropped in for a chat and ended up giving M two stunning acoustic performances.

Watch M‘s interview with Anison and their great version of Sail Back To Sleep below. Want a bit more? You can watch Anison performing Fluidity here.

You can buy the new single, Fluidity, here.

www.anison.co.uk

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The Ivors are presented by BASCA in association with PRS for Music, which has proudly sponsored the event for 38 years – one of the longest sponsorships in the music industry.

The awards either celebrate artistic excellence in a specific work, exceptional performance figures in the award year or recognise the outstanding achievements of a particular songwriter or composer throughout their career.

This ceremony has never before been televised or blogged about live, but you can join us here on 17 May from 2pm for full live coverage.

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE IVORS:

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That’s it for the 2012 Ivor Novello Awards.

The recipient of The BASCA Fellowship is Andrew Lloyd Webber

The final award of the day is The Ivors Fellowship Award presented by Sarah Rodgers and Leslie Bricusse

The winner of the PRS for Music Special International Award is Jimmy Webb

The next award is the PRS for Music Special International Award presented by Sir Tim Rice and Guy Fletcher

The winner of the Songwriter of the Year Award is Adele

The next award is the Songwriter of the Year Award presented by Annie Lennox

The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award is Mark Knopfler

The next award is the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by George Martin

The winner of the Best Song Musically and Lyrically is Ed Sheeran

The next award is the Best Song Musically and Lyrically presented by David Gray

The winner of the PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award is Take That

The next award is the PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music presented by Chris Moyles

The winner of the Best Original Film Score is Alex Heffes with The First Grader

The next award is the Best Original Film Score presented by Claudia Winkleman

The winner of The Ivors Inspiration Award is Siouxsie Sioux

The winner of The Ivors Inspiration Award is Siouxsie Soux

The next award is The Ivors Inspiration Award presented by John Maybury

The winner of the Outstanding Song Collection Award is Gary Kemp

The next award is the Outstanding Song Collection presented by Guy Chambers

The winner of the Album Award is Let England Shake by PJ Harvey

The Album Award is being presented by Joan Armatrading

The next award is the Album Award, nominees include 21 by Adele, 50 Words For Snow by Kate Bush and Let England Shake by PJ Harvey

The winner of the first ever Ivors Jazz Award is Stan Tracey

The first ‘gift of BASCA’ award is The Ivors Jazz Award

The winner is Martin Phipps for The Shadow Line

Next up is the award for Best Television Soundtrack

The winner is Adele & Paul Epworth for Rolling in the Deep

The next award the PRS for Music Most Performed Work, presented by our CEO Robert Ashcroft

The winner of Best Contemporary Song is Lana Del Rey & Justin Parker for the song Video Games!

The first award to be presented is Best Contemporary Song

Today Paul Gambaccini will present The Ivors for the 25th time!

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She’s gone on to support the likes of Ed Sheeran and Example, and has self released her first EP last year. Her second release, the Apple Tree EP, dropped on 23 April to coincide with arena supports with Example, sell-out headline shows in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, and various summer festivals.  Following her stint as last week’s PRS for Music Featured Artist, we spent 30 seconds finding out more about her.

How long have you been making music?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I used to write short stories from the age of six as I’ve always been interested in writing and I picked up an instrument at around ten and put the stories to music and I guess they become songs. I just continued from then on to develop as a songwriter and artist.

What inspired your latest EP?
It’s a 5 track EP with songs that I’ve written over the past few months about the situations I’ve been in over the past while. It’s about love and more prominently, growing up and the temptations along the way, which is why I used The Apple Tree as the lead track. I used ‘The Apple Tree’ as a metaphor about growing up and also the Adam & Eve apple to convey the temptations that an adolescent is faced with whilst growing up.

What process do you go through to create your music?
It depends on the day I’m writing, sometimes I’ll think of a lyrical idea first, others it’ll be a piano or vocal melody. Some people keep a diary each day, I try to write a song a day because I think it’s a good way to get your feelings out and also produce real music.

How would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound as organic guitar/piano and vocals, with some electronic beats behind on some tracks. My lyrics are observational mostly.

What would your dream collaboration be?
Bon Iver! I’m also planning to collaborate with Example soon which I’m really looking forward to as I love his music.

Where can we catch you performing next?
You can catch me on my headline tour start in Manchester 24 April onwards. All dates here:
www.musicglue.net/ninanesbitt

Or supporting Example in Birmingham, Belfast, Leeds or Swindon on his arena tour. Keep an eye out at festivals too!

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Claire-Louise impressed the multi-talented artist/songwriter/producer labrinth to win Sennheiser’s competition to create the ultimate sound test track for Sennheiser’s award winning headphones.

What: Live performance from Labrinth and Masters of Sound winner. Plus a limited one-day offer on Sennheiser headphones
Where: HMV London, 150 Oxford Street, W1
When: Wednesday 16 May 2012 from 6:00pm

WHAT: Live performance from Labrinth and Masters of Sound winner. Plus a limited one-day offer on Sennheiser headphones

WHERE: hmv London, 150 Oxford Street, W1
WHEN: Wednesday 16th May 2012 from 6:00pm

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Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher are made up from some of Dundee’s recent hot bands – The Law, Luva Anna and The Lost Todorovs. Their secret is a blend of enigmatic songwriters and singers thrown together into one melting pot.

Described as a breath of fresh air, both musically and in their approach to their audiences, the line-up of instrumentation they employ hints at the unusual sound they have harnessed – bazooki, mandolin, harmonium, double bass, autoharp – the list goes on. Folk, hip-hop, rock and country are not genre’s that are normally associated with just one band.

Since August 2011, they have been quietly refining their live set and preparing their eponymous debut album release. Recorded almost completely live in just three days, it is the first release mixed at the brand new Gardyne Studios in Dundee by Mike Brown.

Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward, and Fisher’s eponymous album is out now.

There seems to be a bit of a scene going on in Dundee, can you tell us a bit about it?
There’s always been a music scene in Dundee and our bands have always had a great habit of sticking together but I suppose in recent times its opened up a bit. People don’t treat their band so much like a relationship anymore. Its become acceptable to be playing a gig and for someone to walk into the pub and just join in.

How did you get together as a band?
Pretty much the same thing. we were all doing separate gigs round town and it became quite common for a last minute phone call asking what you were doing in the next hour or so. I guess we just liked what each of us did with one another’s songs so we decided  to put on a show together.

Can you each list what you play/sing?
it kinda changes from gig to gig. There’s guitars, mandolins, bouzoukis, banjo’s double bass harmonium, piano, drums, trumpet, harmonica, kazoo, anything really, we all play and sing and some of us are better at some things than others but as long as your in tune and learn how to play the right three chords its doesn’t really matter.

Are your songs driven by the varied instruments you all play?
Not at all, they become songs first and foremost and we play them the way we like to hear it at the time but that doesn’t mean you cant rip it all up and make a dance track out of it. Does it?

With so many influences and tastes, how do you turn your ideas into songs, what’s the system?
I don’t think you can really work to a system. We’re obviously influenced by the records we listen to but I think its subconscious, until your finished and someone says ‘Hey that’s got a bit of a (insert band) feel about it’, then it becomes clearer.

Was it important to get a ‘live’ feel for your debut album?
Definitely, we try to keep everything we do as live as possible. Most of our favourite albums were recorded live too so I guess that’s another influence thing.

Can you talk us through one of the songs on the album – where the idea came from, how it developed musically and lyrically and how you chose how it sounded?
The Pigeon Song was inspired by the story of Christopher McCandless. I liked the way he decided not to take anyone’s word for granted, even guys like Walden whom he was obviously guided by, and I hoped more
people would free themselves from the laws of acceptance and find things out for themselves. I didn’t really plan to make it sound like anything in particular when i started writing but i was happy with the way it turned out.

How are you going about getting your music heard?
Anywhere really, we try to play as often as possible but online and radio are great platforms these days. Its so easy to give new bands a listen and generally doesn’t cost the listener a penny. Its not like it used to be when I was younger when you’d generally buy an album without hearing it. People tend to listen to it first and decide if they want to pay for it

If you could have a sixth member of the band (living or otherwise), who would it be – Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward, Fisher and…?
Anyone really who’s up for it. As I mentioned before if we turned up at a show and someone was keen enough with a couple of spoons we’d more than likely have them onstage. If i had to choose one person though i’d probably say Tom Waits. I love his voice and I think I’ve impersonated him singing every track on our record at some point.

www.facebook.com/AndersonMcGintyWebsterWardandFisher

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Skinny Lister are Daniel Heptinstall, Lorna Thomas, Maxwell Thomas, Sam Brace and Dan Gray who came together in the summer of 2009.  United by their love of folk, jigs and the outdoors, the band have been riotously swinging the festival scene since day one, notching up an impressive 30 festivals last year.

The band soon came to the attention of festival impresario and DJ Rob Da Bank, who welcomed Skinny to his Sunday Best Recordings label. It’s on this label that Skinny Lister are releasing their barnstorming debut album Forge & Flagon on Monday 11 June.

Their live shows often feature a bric-a-brac merchandise stall, where you can treat yourself to old pocket watches, pub mirrors, tankards and a spectacular anchor or two, making a series of gigs at vintage stores a perfect fit for the band.

Vintage Store Pop-Up Tour – Tuesday 15 May. Free entry to all venues

2:00pm – Beyond Retro, Cheshire St, E2 6EJ
2:30pm – Hunky Dory, Brick Lane, E1 6SA
3:00pm – Blitz, Hanbury St, E1 5JP
4:00pm – Paper Dress, Curtain Road, EC2A 3AH

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Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic are lead singer and guitarist Sam McTrusty, Ross McNae on bass, piano and vocals, Barry McKenna, guitar, cello and vocals, and drummer Craig Neale.

They formed in Glasgow five years ago and, following the release of their mini-album Vivarium in 2009, found themselves supporting the likes of Blink-182, My Chemical Romance and The Gaslight Anthem across Britain, Europe and the US.

‘We had three years where we’ve had this barrage of dream scenarios which we grasped with two hands,’ says Sam. ‘But we suddenly thought, “What are we doing?”’

The four piece promptly returned to the studio to put together their first full length album Free, teaming up with producer Gil Norton, who has previously worked with Pixies, Foo Fighters, Feeder and James. The album was released on 2 May.

Twin Atlantic’s new single Make a Beast of Myself is receiving support from Radio 1, while their album is currently climbing the US alternative rock charts and this week is at number 33.

Upcoming tour dates include:
June (with Blink-182)
9 – London O2 Arena
15 - Manchester Arena
16 - Birmingham LG Arena
17 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
19 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
20 - Glasgow SECC

July
8 – T In the Park Festival (BBC Radio 1 / NME Stage)

August
25 – Reading Festival (BBC Radio 1 / NME Stage)
26 – Leeds Festival (BBC Radio 1 / NME Stage)

http://free.twinatlantic.com/

Watch the video to Make a Beast of Myself:

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Anison are a Kingston-based quartet whose shimmering synth-guitar rock has already enjoyed slots on Radio 1 and the XFM playlist.

The band – Rory Doherty (guitar), Daniel Frau (vocals, guitar), Rocky Wadhawan (bass), Jerome Foreman (drums) popped into see M and performed a great stripped-back version of their new single Fluidity, which is available from the Anison website.

Visit us again to watch another acoustic performance and an interview with the band.

www.anison.co.uk

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Ruth Simmons, founder of music marketing company soundlounge, offered top tips at The Great Escape for songwriters and composers hoping to find lucrative synchronisation deals.

For more than 30 years, Ruth has been looking at ways to make music work better in branding and marketing, arranging sync deals with world leading companies including McDonalds, HSBC, Durex and Pataks.

‘Brands work on differentiation,’ she said. ‘There’s a lot of competition in the marketplace, and brands need to work hard not to be schizophrenic with their audio, swinging wildly between genres and sounds.’ Three out of four people don’t match the music with the brand she explained, making it really important to team the right sounds with the right company.

The sync market still offers songwriters and composers a lucrative way to make money from their music while also gaining all important exposure, but things have changed since Levi’s first began transforming the relationship between music and advertising in the 80s.

Some advertising campaigns can generate number one singles for the musicians involved, like Levi’s used to to, but others don’t even reference or promote the music they use, which doesn’t help the artists involved. And, while there are still so many opportunities for songwriters, it is important to make sure you get a good deal on top of the pay cheque, Ruth urged.

Here are her top questions that songwriters and composers should ask themselves when approached by advertisers and their representatives:

1. Do you like the product?
2. What is the sync deal actually offering you?
3. Who is offering it?
4. Are they willing to market the track for you?
5. Have you got in writing what they will actually do for you?
6. Have got your money before it goes out on air?
7. Are they asking you to leverage your music against their brand?

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