East London grime master-cum-rapper Plan B has taken an impressive three awards at the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, held on Thursday, May 19.
The Guardian reports than Plan B, real name Ben Drew, took the most high-profile award of Songwriter of the Year, as well as Best Album for his LP The Defamation of Strickland Banks, and Most Performed Work for his single She Said.
Drew was presented with the songwriting award by Elton John, who said that The Defamation… was his favourite album of the past year. In his acceptance speech, Drew remarked upon the time when he was composing music in his bedroom whilst watching his East London peers succumb to the minefield of drugs and violence, saying “I wanted to stand up for those kids, I wanted to write about those kids who were ignored and forgotten.”
The Defamation… was of course a move away from the hip hop that defined his first album, Who Needs Action When You Got Words. For his third record, he is planning to move back to the style of his debut, rather than stick with the soul that has seen his commercial worth sky-rocket.
He said, “I am never going to make music that I don’t like because a record label is making me do it.”
Other winners at the Ivor Novellos, which took place at the Grosvenor Hotel in London, included Tinie Tempah, who took the award for Best Contemporary Song for Pass Out, while Dizzee Rascal was recognised with the Ivors Inspiration Award.
