Sting to perform at The Ivors 2023 before receiving Academy Fellowship

Virgin Radio

4 May 2023, 07:10

Iconic singer-songwriter Sting will take to the stage at the prestigious Ivors Awards ceremony later this month. 

The Ivors 2023, which celebrates songwriters and composers, have confirmed the first performers for their annual music celebration, with Sting sharing the set-list with RAYE and Matilda Mann, both of whom have picked up Ivor nominations.

Sting will be the latest to pick up the Academy Fellow accolade, which is the highest honour The Ivors Academy bestows. 

The artist will receive the award at The Ivors on 18th May in London and, in doing so, will become the twenty-third Fellow that the Academy has inducted across its near eight-decade history. 

Over 79 years, the likes of Paul McCartney, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading have all been given the award, which recognises those who have truly reshaped and redefined the art and craft of music creation. Peter Gabriel was the last person to be honoured, in 2022.

Sting has already got seven Ivor Novellos under his belt, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. 

In a statement, the artist said: “Of all the awards in the world of music, The Ivors are for me, the most prestigious. Songwriting is a skilled craft and The Ivors Academy are its guild. So, I am delighted and honoured to be offered this Fellowship of the Academy, joining and acknowledging this extraordinary group of fellow songwriters, and all of those who went before us.”

This year, The Ivors will be sponsored by Amazon Music, and to commemorate the honour, an unheard, Amazon Original demo of Sting’s 2021 single If It’s Love, taken from his latest album The Bridge, is being released.

For the big night this year, The Ivors, with Amazon Music, will present their first live stream of the event. In addition to red carpet access, live performances and backstage interviews, the pre-show stream will also include highlights from an Amazon Music panel discussion 50 Years of Hip Hop, featuring the likes of Wretch 32 and Michael Adex. 

The Ivors have run since 1956, with the likes of Adele, Stormzy, Little Simz, Cathy Dennis, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, Dave and John Lennon all picking up awards.

The Ivors 2023 will take place at Grosvenor House in London on Thursday 18th May. Audiences can tune into the livestream on the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch from 11:30am.