Scottish singer and songwriter Jacob Alon has won major Ivor Novello awards | Ivor Novello awards

Scottish songwriter Jacob Alon is the biggest winner in 2026 Ivor Novello awardswhich accepts the best of British and Irish music and performance music.

Alon, 25 years old, has captivated the audience with his soulful voice and the sentimental attitude of the people, expressed in the first album. In Limerence which was released in May 2025. He won the Ivor Novello award for rising to the stars – Alon’s second win this year, after winning the same award at the 2026 Brit awards in February, which is called the critics’ award.

Alon also won the Ivor Novello category for best song and song, for Don’t Sleep, a delicate and tragic song inspired by the death of a cousin in an accidental drowning before Alon was born. The song imagines their cousin rising from the water after death and being led by an angel, allowing him to see his unborn child enter the world. “This song, for me, floats above the stormy sea of ​​the sea of ​​dreams, swaying with its waves, resisting the gentle pull of the bottom to the endless depths,” said Alon. The judges called it “very honest”.

The pair have won the trophy for best original song release from Alon, while In Limerence has also been nominated for the 2025 Mercury Prize. Alon lost to Sam Fender, who also won this year’s Ivor Novellos, who was nominated for songwriter of the year for his socially conscious music on his album People Watching.

Catalan singer Rosalía, who used electronic elements of opera, pop and avant garde on her strong album Lux, won the international songwriter award. The charismatic Irish singer CMAT won best Euro-Country album, which explores his past and romantic struggles alongside those facing Ireland’s economic crisis.

Kae Tempest won best song of the day for I Stand on the Line, written by Fraser T Smith, which shows Tempest’s struggles as a trans person, including his concerns about policing public toilets: “I’m looking at myself, all I see is pain / Coming to where I live when I’m with so many strangers today?” The judges praised the song for giving a voice to the “often unheard”. Unusually, Tempest was nominated twice in the category, with his song Know Yourself up for this year’s award.

The award for most accomplished work went to Messy by Lola Young, showing just how popular the solo song has become. It was released in May 2024 but had its way to UK No 1, spending four weeks at the top of the charts in early 2025, and continues to be popular in search and radio.

Tom Hodge won the award for best video for Testimony, a documentary about the Magdalene laundries in Ireland, while David Holmes and Brian Irvine won best music for television for the Belfast-set drama Trespasses.

The nominees who missed out on the award were Olivia Dean, Self Esteem and Wolf Alice, who were nominated twice.

Ivor Novellos also awards various prestigious awards every year, the most famous of which is the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, which was awarded in 2026 to George Michael and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Michael’s old Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley accepted the award on his behalf, and pop singer Skye Newman paid tribute with a performance of Careless Whisper.

Lily Allen, Calvin Harris, Linda Perry and Kano were also given awards to recognize their work in songwriting.

Winners of the Ivor Novello 2026 awards in full

A very good album: CMAT – Euro-Country

The best modern music: Kae Tempest – I Stand on the Line

The best music and music: Jacob Alon – Sleepless

Lots of activities: Lola Young – Messy

A rising star: Jacob Aloni

A very good introduction to this film: Tom Hodge – Evidence

The best song on TV: David Holmes and Brian Irvine – Trespasses

Ivors Academy Fellowship: George Michael, Thom Yorke

A collection of the best songs: Lily Allen

Icon awardAuthor: Calvin Harris

An international composer: Rosalia

Songwriter of the year: Sam Fender

A special international award: Linda Perry

A vision award: Kano