One of the big stories from this year’s Ivor Novello Awards was the winner of the event’s highly-coveted Best Album prize.
British rapper Little Simz (aka Simbi Ajikawo) was officially awarded the gong for her third LP, Grey Area, yesterday (September 2) by the Ivors – the prestigious annual event celebrating the best in UK songwriting talent.
Grey Area, co-produced by Simz and her collaborator InFlo, was released last year via the artist’s own label, Age101, via Kobalt‘s AWAL.
“This is the one that’s probably the most important because it’s about the songwriting, and it’s about the skill of the pen.”
Little Simz on her Ivor Novello win
The award comes hot on the heels of Simz being the youngest ever recipient of the Pioneer Award at the UK’s AIM Awards last month, and sits alongside an NME Award for Best Album, a Q Award for Best Vocal Performance and a Mercury Music Prize nomination.
“This is the one that’s probably the most important because it’s about the songwriting, and it’s about the skill of the pen”, Simz said in her Ivors acceptance speech. ”I’m super, super grateful to have been recognized.”
Speaking to MBW, AWAL has celebrated Simz’s Ivors win, calling her a “true artist”. The company has also committed to ensuring that she can build on her Ivor Novello to reach “her full global potential as an artist and a performer”.
“Simz is a true artist and it is important in this age of instant gratification that an artist like Simbi, who puts in the work and comes through unfiltered, is recognized.”
Lonny Olinick, CEO of AWAL, said: “We’re extremely proud that The Ivors have shined a light on what was an incredible album from a true creative force, Little Simz. She has achieved greatness already in her career and knowing that the best is still to come is hard to imagine.
“Simz is a true artist and it is important in this age of instant gratification that an artist like Simbi, who puts in the work and comes through unfiltered, is recognized.”
Paul Hitchman, President, AWAL, commented: “Simz has the creative vision and all-round talent to achieve anything she sets her mind to. As she begins work on her next record we know that there will be incredible anticipation for what comes next.”
Added Hitchman: “We purposefully built AWAL with extraordinary artists like Simz in mind, and are both confident and determined to support Simbi and her team to realise her full global potential as an artist and performer, which will no doubt include many more awards and accolades to come.”
“Simz has the creative vision and all-round talent to achieve anything she sets her mind to.”
Paul Hitchman, AWAL
Grey Area has won rave reviews from critics, with an average Metacritic score of 91%. In a 5-star review, NME called the album “a knockout record… fiercely confident and unapologetically forthright”.
In May this year – in the midst of pandemic lockdown – Little Simz released a new EP via AWAL, entitled Drop 6, which DIY Magazine called “a glorious postcard from an unprecedented global moment, and a wonderful teaser for what is to come”.
The vinyl release of Drop 6 will arrive on November 27.Music Business Worldwide
