Old Stortfordian, Charli XCX, Wins Songwriter of the Year

Old Stortfordian, Charlotte Aitchison (GH, BH 99-10), better known as pop superstar Charli XCX, was named Songwriter of the Year at the 70th edition of The Ivors.

Among the most respected award ceremonies in music, The Ivors celebrates craft and exceptional achievements of songwriters and screen composers. Judged by songwriters and composers, for songwriters and composers, the awards recognise excellence in their fields. Previous Ivor Novello Award winners have included Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox and more.

Upon accepting her Ivor Novello Award, Charli joked “I’m sure you all agree, I am hardly Bob Dylan” whilst reciting the lyrics to her 2024 song Club Classics “I wanna dance to me, me, me / When I go to the club, club, club”. She went on to add that “one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit”.

Charli was also acknowledged for her summer 2024 hit album, Brat, which won her five Brit Awards and three Grammys. On stage she commented, “I’ve never particularly believed the idea that everything starts from a great song. In my head, a great song alone has never actually been enough to captivate an audience. Instead, a song with a distinct identity coupled with a point of view… and above all, conviction is what can catapult a songwriter from being technically good to globally renowned.”