A self-deprecating Charli XCX downplayed her talents as a songwriter, as she was named songwriter of the year at the Ivor Novello Awards.
Accepting the award in London, the star illustrated her “songwriting genius” by quoting the lyrics to her 2024 song Club Classics: “I wanna dance to me, me, me / When I go to the club, club, club.”
“I’m sure you all agree, I am hardly Bob Dylan,” she joked to an audience that included Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Williams, “but one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit”.
The ceremony also saw awards for rising stars Lola Young and Myles Smith, while U2 became the first Irish band to win the fellowship of the Ivor Novello songwriting academy.
The award recognised almost 50 years of hits, including With Or Without You, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Vertigo and One.
Speaking on stage, the band’s frontman, Bono, paid tribute to the power of music. “Songs can be arrows through time if they come from the right place,” he said.
“They can fly higher and farther, last longer, hit harder. They can pierce the hardest armour of the human heart.
“I don’t know if they can change the world, but they changed us.”
Each band member gave their own acceptance speech, with drummer Larry Mullen, Jr, recalling the group’s first rejection letter, from the head of CBS Records, Muff Winwood.
“He heard the song and offered us a record deal, but only if the band fired the drummer,” he said.
“I humbly concede that on every musical break, I may have counted to three instead of four – but from where I’m standing right now having trouble counting makes some of us look like musical geniuses.”
And as they played an acoustic version of Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono called for peace in the Middle East.
“Hamas release the hostages. Stop the war,” he said. “Israel be released from Benjamin Netanyahu.
“All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.”
Getty ImagesThe Killers won the special international prize, with Bruce Springsteen handing over the trophy to frontman Brandon Flowers.
The singer joked that “the only downside” of the award was that “it feels one giant step away from fulfilling my original dream of becoming the most sought-after valet on the Las Vegas strip”.
Backstage, Flowers was somewhat overwhelmed by Springsteen’s presence.
“That was really cool,” he told BBC News. “He went out of his way to come here. I love him.
Lola Young won the rising star award, recognising the success of her breakthrough single, Messy.
“This is such a big moment for the kid in my bedroom that was 10 years old, writing songs on her guitar,” the 24-year-old musician told the BBC.
“To be here now is such an honor, and such a gives me such a warm feeling.”
Young also revealed she’d recently finished her next album, and “shot 12 music videos in one day” to accompany her new songs.
Myles Smith’s Stargazing was named the most-played song on UK radio last year.
“The first time I heard it on the radio was actually in New York,” he said. “I remember it so specifically. I was in an Uber and the song came on, and I told the driver, ‘This is me’ and he could not care less.