Amy Winehouse Wins Ivor Novello Music Award

Pink Floyd star David Gilmour was handed the Lifetime Achievement accolade, and he paid tribute to Amy during his acceptance speech.

The troubled singer’s track ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ earned her the prize for Best Song Musically And Lyrically. Although she attended the glitzy ceremony, held at London’s Grosvenor House
hotel, Amy got her taxi driver father Mitch to accept the accolade on her behalf.

After receiving the statuette from British soul singer Beverley Knight, Mitch - referring to his daughter’s ongoing battle with drugs - said: “I don’t know what I’m doing up here! Amy is getting better and sends her love. She’s asked me to thank a few people – her producer Mark Ronson, her family and friends and all her fans who send messages of love and support everyday.”

Amy, 24, was also nominated in the same category for the track ‘You Know I’m No Good’, taken from her hugely successful second album ‘Back to Black’, while her hit ‘Rehab’ lost out in the Best Selling British Song category to ‘Beautiful Liar’ by Shakira and Beyonce Knowles.

Other winners on the day included Take That, who scooped the gong for Most Performed Work for hit single ‘Shine’, Phil Collins who walked away with the prize for International Achievement, while Mika was named Songwriter of the Year.

Pink Floyd star David Gilmour was handed the Lifetime Achievement accolade, and he paid tribute to Amy during his acceptance speech. The guitarist said: “Here I am getting the Lifetime Achievement award, well it’s been a long, bumpy road, but thank you very much indeed… Let’s hope in about another 20 or 30 years Amy Winehouse gets given one for long service.”

The annual Ivor Novello Awards are recognised as one of the greatest honours a British songwriter or composer can receive for their work. 

Ivor Novello Awards 2008 full list of winners:

Best Song Musically and Lyrically: ‘Love is a Losing Game’.  written and
performed by Amy Winehouse

Best Contemporary Song: .People Help the People.. Written by Simon Aldred,
performed by Cherry Ghost

Best Original Film Score: ‘Atonement’. Composed by Dario Marianelli

Best Television Soundtrack: ‘Oliver Twist’. Composed by Martin Phipps

PRS (Performing Right Society) Most Performed Work: ‘Shine’. Written by Take
That and Stephen Robson, performed by Take That

Bestselling British Song Beautiful Liar. Written by Ian Dench, Mikkel
Eriksen, Amanda Ghost, Tor Erik Hermansen and Beyoncé Knowles. Performed by
Beyoncé Knowles and Shakira

Album Award: ‘In Rainbows’. Written and performed by Radiohead

Outstanding Song Collection: Gabrielle

Ivors Classical Music Award: Jonathan Dove

Ivors Inspiration Award: Jazzie B

International Achievement: Phil Collins

PRS Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Chris Difford and Glenn
Tilbrook

Songwriter of the Year: Mika

Special International Award: Diane Warren

Lifetime Achievement: David Gilmour