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Christine McVie, Jeff Beck, Jerry Dammers and Nile Rodgers were among the winners at last night’s Ivor Novello awards, presented at Grosvenor House, London.

McVie received a lifetime achievement award and told the audience that she is rejoining Fleetwood Mac for a tour and to record new music.

Jeff Beck won the award for outstanding contribution to British music. Receiving the award from fellow guitar legend Jimmy Page, Beck said:

It’s amazing that I’m still here for making such ridiculous noises out of a funny shaped piece of wood and six bits of wire.

The Specials’ Jerry Dammers won the inspiration award. Reflecting on his protest song “Free Nelson Mandela,” Dammers said:

“If there any young people here and you feel strongly about something, if you write a song about it you never know where it’s going to end up.”

Nile Rodgers received a special international award in recognition of his long career working with the likes of Chic, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, and Daft Punk. Picking up the award from The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Rodgers said:

I can’t believe I get to do this and get paid. No-one would ever think that The Smiths and Chic had something in common. The truth is… we had more in common with the punk bands than you would ever imagine. Everybody was our friend. We were one big family and I am so honoured to be in this club.

The full list of award winners is as follows:

• Best Song Musically and Lyrically – “Strong,” written by Dominic Major, Hannah Reid and Daniel Rothman, and performed by London Grammar
• Best Contemporary Song – “Retrograde,” written and performed by James Blake
• Most Performed Work – “Let Her Go,” written by Mike Rosenberg, and performed by Passenger
• Album Award – “Push the Sky Away,” written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and performed by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Best Original Film Score – “The Epic of Everest,” composed by Simon Fisher Turner
• Best Television Soundtrack – “Ripper Street,” composed by Dominik Scherrer
• International Achievement – Mumford & Sons
• Lifetime Achievement – Christine McVie
• Outstanding Song Collection – The Chemical Brothers
• Outstanding Contribution to British Music – Jeff Beck
• Special International Award – Nile Rodgers
• The Ivors Classical Music Award – John McCabe
• The Ivors Inspiration Award – Jerry Dammers
• Songwriter of the Year – Tom Odell.