Songwriter of the Year - Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher Sheeran has not exactly been short of accolades in the past year or so.

Ever since his blockbusting ÷ album was released last year, his path has been strewn with awards and record-breaking achievement. The biggest selling record in the UK and worldwide in 2017, he won a BRIT, Grammys and was presented with everything from Music Week’s Artist Of The Year to an OBE, while also selling out stadiums around the world.

But, even amongst such wins, you suspect The Ivors nod for Songwriter of the Year will mean the most to the Suffolk superstar. Because, more than any other global megastar, Sheeran places all due emphasis on the crafting of his tunes.

÷ is a stunning body of work not just because of the numbers it’s racked up, but because of the sheer range of its songs, as Sheeran moves from the foot-stomping bar room anthem of Galway Girl to the classic balladeering of Perfect and all points in between.

Indeed, in an increasingly ephemeral business, Sheeran’s ability to craft songs for the ages – the tunes you’ll be hearing at weddings and funerals long after everyone’s forgotten Shape of You and Castle On The Hill’s staggering firstweek streaming numbers – is what marks him apart from pretty much every other young songwriter on the planet.

Sheeran’s unique feat of landing every single track from ÷ in the Top 20 may have, ultimately, been down to streaming and a quirk in the chart system. But the truth is, none of those tracks sounded out of place as a big hit. And none of Sheeran’s songs sound out of place when put up against the very best. That’s why he’ll keep winning things, and that’s why, after today, he’ll have the Songwriter of the Year award nestling alongside all his other honours. ÷ has conquered once again.