Pop-rock band win songwriters of the year and best contemporary song, with Ben Howard and Idles collecting other big prizes

The 1975 have received two of the most prestigious prizes at this year’s Ivor Novello songwriting awards.

The band won songwriters of the year, for songs from their UK No 1 album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, which considered everything from online dating to Donald Trump, quarter-life crises, and heroin addiction. They also received best contemporary song for Love It If We Made It.

The voting academy described them as “daring, vulnerable and recklessly honest … a vivid picture of modernity. These songs are a quintessential snapshot of the emotional complexities of life in the here and now, but with all the hallmarks of a body of work that will stand the test of time.”

The award for best song musically or lyrically was given to Ben Howard, for Nica Libres at Dusk, taken from his album Noonday Dream. Howard, who has been nominated twice before, has described the brooding song as “a few floating ideas with no answer to them”.

Best album was given to Joy As An Act of Resistance, the breakthrough LP from Bristol punk band Idles – the judges described it as “so visceral it is impossible to ignore”.

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Jonny Greenwood, guitarist with Radiohead, won his sixth Ivor Novello award for his score to Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Phantom Thread. Natasha Khan, AKA Bat For Lashes, won her second for her soundtrack to BBC/Netflix drama Requiem, composed with Dominik Scherrer; Robin Beanland won the prize for best video game score, for Sea of Thieves.

As well as awards for music released over the last year, the Ivor Novellos also feature a series of awards that recognise a whole body of work. Mariah Carey was given the special international award, while international achievement was given to Deep Purple Mark II. Richard Ashcroft was awarded outstanding contribution to British music for his songwriting both solo and with the Verve, while Dido was given outstanding song collection – she recently released her first album in six years and her fifth overall, Still on My Mind.

Django Bates won the Ivors jazz award, while rapper and producer Wiley won the Ivors Inspiration award, which is given to artists who inspire their peers – he is widely credited with helping to define and nurture grime as a unique British musical style, paving the way for the likes of Stormzy.