Ivor Novello Awards 2019: Richard Ashcroft settles dispute and winners in full

Richard Ashcroft performs live at London’s Finsbury Park supporting Liam Gallagher. Photo: Robin Pope

Bitter Sweet Symphony song royalties will be paid to The Verve’s frontman as long battle finally comes to an end

Rolling Stones duo Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have relinquished the rights to The Verve’s hit song Bitter Sweet Symphony, 22 years after the song stormed the charts. Singer Richard Ashcroft was forced to sign over the rights shortly after its initial release due to the string parts being sampled from the Rolling Stones’ song The Last Time.

The disputed section only lasts four seconds but it caused one of music’s longest stand-offs, a disagreement that Ashcroft has always felt hard done by. However, it has come to light that it was Rolling Stones’ late manager Allen Klein, and not the band, who filed a lawsuit against Ashcroft and co.

Since the apparent U-turn, Ashcroft has been quick to thank Jagger and Richards in what he called a “kind and magnanimous gesture”. The singer-songwriter made the announcement after receiving an Ivor Novello Award for his contribution to music on 23 May, in which he stated:

“It gives me great pleasure to announce as of last month Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to give me their share of the song Bitter Sweet Symphony. This remarkable and life-affirming turn of events was made possible by a kind and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me.

“I would like to thank the main players in this, my management Steve Kutner and John Kennedy, the Stones manager Joyce Smyth and Jody Klein (for actually taking the call) lastly a huge unreserved heartfelt thanks and respect to Mick and Keith. Music is power.”

The 2019 Ivor Novello Award winners are:

PRS FOR MUSIC MOST PERFORMED WORK
These Days
Written by Julian Bunetta, Dan Caplen, Macklemore, John Ryan and Jamie Scott
Performed by Rudimental ft Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen
Published in the UK by Big Deal Music – Peermusic UK, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing

BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE
Sea of Thieves
Composed by Robin Beanland

BEST CONTEMPORARY SONG
Love It If We Made It
Written by George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald
Performed by The 1975
Published in the UK by Good Soldier Songs

THE IVORS JAZZ AWARD
Django Bates

BEST ALBUM
Joy As An Act of Resistance
Written by Jonathan Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan and Joseph Talbot
Performed by Idles
Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
Phantom Thread
Composed by Jonny Greenwood
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell North America Limited

PRS FOR MUSIC SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Mariah Carey

BEST TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK
Requiem
Composed by Natasha Khan and Dominik Scherrer
Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management, Du Vinage Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing

BEST SONG MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY
Nica Libres at Dusk
Written by Ben Howard
Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Limited

THE IVORS INSPIRATION AWARD
Wiley

SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR
George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy and Ross MacDonald (The 1975)

OUTSTANDING SONG COLLECTION
Dido

INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord (posthumous) and Ian Paice (Deep Purple – mark II line-up)

PRS FOR MUSIC OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH MUSIC
Richard Ashcroft

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