Ivors 2025 crowns songwriting giants
Charli XCX & Robbie Williams win at the Ivor Novello Awards 2025 — recognition sealed on May 22, when she took home Songwriter of the Year, while he claimed the Music Icon Award. Two different legends. Two very different legacies. And on this night, both were honoured separately at the top of their respective games.
This year marked the 70th Ivors, held at London’s Grosvenor House — the sort of chandelier-drenched room that still can’t outshine the weight of what these awards actually mean. No streaming stats. No chart placements. Just the songs. And the people who write them.
For decades, the Ivors have been the UK’s gold standard for songwriting excellence, spotlighting the craft over the clout. They’ve shaped careers and defined eras without blinking at trends. The 2025 ceremony was no different — a clear statement from the Ivors Academy that songwriting is still the heart of music culture, no matter how fast the business evolves.
Charli XCX and the Songwriter of the Year win
There’s no bigger writing award in UK music. And Charli XCX just took it home.
Her win wasn’t about popularity or plays. It was about Brat — the record that didn’t just hit, it detonated. Spiky, dancefloor-driven, brutally honest. A love letter to hyperpop, club culture, and self-aware chaos. And beyond the BPMs and basslines, it’s the songwriting that cuts.
Every lyric on Brat is either a punchline or a punch in the chest. And the Ivors took notice. This wasn’t a one-off win, either. Charli’s 2024 saw her bag five BRIT Awards and three Grammys, leaving a trail of “brat” graffiti across pop’s glass walls. Collins Dictionary even made brat their word of the year. That’s cultural saturation — and lyrical domination.
Her style mixes heartfelt vulnerability with sharp wit, reflecting a generation raised online but craving something raw and real. Tracks like “Used to Know Me” and “Every Rule” underline that duality. Charli doesn’t just make songs — she makes statements. And with this win, the Ivors confirmed her place not just as a pop star, but as a songwriter shaping the future.
Robbie Williams wins Ivors Music Icon Award
While Charli was crowned the future, Robbie Williams was knighted for the past. Not as a throwback. As a pillar.
He was handed the 2025 Music Icon Award — a heavyweight title that echoes with legacy. Because Robbie isn’t just a stadium veteran. He’s a blueprint. One of the few UK acts who wrote their way from boyband beginnings to global icon status, still holding court in the chaos.
Robbie’s trajectory isn’t a simple one, but it’s a testament to reinvention. From the cheeky swagger of “Let Me Entertain You” to the heartfelt resonance of “Angels,” he’s crafted songs that have lodged themselves in the national psyche. His songwriting balance of bravado and vulnerability makes him a standout.
The award recognises that arc. That longevity. That knack for dropping a ballad next to a rager and making both sound inevitable. It’s a nod to the craft behind the hits and the staying power in a volatile industry.
Ivors 2025 full winner list revealed
Beyond the headlines, this year’s Ivors stacked serious depth across genres. Not trend-chasing. Just talent-facing.
Here’s the list of 2025 Ivor Novello Award winners, written out without bullet points and presented line by line:
Berwyn – Best Album (Who Am I)
Sans Soucis – Best Contemporary Song (Circumnavigating Georgia)
Orla Gartland – Best Song Musically and Lyrically (Mine)
Myles Smith – Most Performed Work (Stargazing)
Lola Young – Rising Star Award
Brandon Flowers (The Killers) – Special International Award
Bloc Party – Outstanding Song Collection
Self Esteem – Visionary Award
U2 – Academy Fellowship
Not one filler pick in the lot. Just a real look at who’s writing the story of 2025, line by line.
Why Charli XCX and Robbie Williams wins matter
There’s a weird pressure to always look forward in music. But the Ivors force us to zoom out — to honour the craft, not the moment.
Charli XCX is that rare artist pushing form and function in the same breath. She isn’t just part of pop — she’s burning and bending it. Her win says the Ivors aren’t scared of evolution.
And Robbie? He’s proof that longevity doesn’t mean settling. It means keeping that pen sharp. These wins aren’t about age or genre. They’re about the songs. Always the songs.
Celebrating songwriting with lasting weight
What makes the Ivors different is the focus on the invisible force behind every hit and anthem — the writing. Charli and Robbie are very different but connected by the same thread: songs that move people, make moments, and mark time.
In a world overwhelmed by streams, clips, and fleeting hits, this ceremony reminds us that the words and melodies still carry weight. They shape culture, soundtracks, and memories. They’re the skeleton key to music’s ongoing relevance.
Still grounded, relevant and Still writing.
Charli XCX and Robbie Williams might exist at opposite ends of the sound spectrum, but they’re tethered by intent. They both write with teeth. With knowing. With the kind of honesty that doesn’t age.
So no, this wasn’t a generational split-screen moment. It was a mirror. Two reflections of what UK songwriting can be — brash or balladeering, club-fuelled or crooner-slick. As long as it lands.
Final word on Charli XCX and Robbie Williams at Ivors 2025
The 2025 Ivor Novello Awards didn’t just hand out trophies — they underlined why lyrics matter more than algorithms. And in doing so, they reminded us that great songwriting isn’t past or future. It’s present. Charli XCX and Robbie Williams prove that better than most.
Dig deeper into their work via the official Charli XCX site and Robbie Williams online.
More from the source via the Ivors Academy.
And for scene roots still shaping things today, revisit our own stories on the Grassroots Music Venue Tube Map and Ball Park Music landing the Oasis support slot.
Charli XCX and Robbie Williams win big.
