Ed Sheeran: I thought Adele would win my award

Ed Sheeran shows off his prize at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. Credit: Ian West/PA Wire

Ed Sheeran admitted he was shocked to win the Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for his song The A Team because he was convinced Adele would take home the gong.

The 21-year-old singer-songwriter, who was nominated against Adele and Florence + The Machine for the award, revealed he had set his sights on winning an Ivor since his first ever recording session.

Sheeran also revealed how much of a triumph it was to win the award for The A Team, a song which he had been advised should never even have been released as a single.

He said: "I just didn't expect to get it so I'm very surprised. Also it's a brilliant thing for gingers - three gingers in the same category and I think we're doing well. Hooray for gingers!

"The Ivors is the one award as a songwriter you always dream of being nominated for. In my first studio session ever there were Ivor Novellos on the mantelpiece and ever since then I've set my sights on getting one.

"I've only been in the professional game a year, I started promo on the single May last year, and so it's an honour to get it, especially for a song like The A Team.

"It's a song I didn't expect to get radio play at all and a couple of people like Zane Lowe took a big risk playing it so I missed saying thank you to all radio in the speech, but I really appreciate that."

Adele took two awards home from the night. Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Although Adele finished second best to Sheeran in that award category, she went onto win two gongs of her own.

The Grammy Award-winning star was named as songwriter of the year, before picking up an award for the most performed work for her song Rolling in the Deep.

Here is a full list of the night's winners:

Best contemporary song - Video Games, Lana Del Rey

PRS for music most performed work - Rolling In The Deep, Adele

Best television soundtrack - The Shadow Line, Martin Phipps

The Ivors jazz award - Stan Tracey

Album award - Let England Shake, PJ Harvey

Outstanding song collection - Gary Kemp

The Ivors inspiration award - Siouxsie Sioux

Best original film score - The First Grader, Alex Heffes

PRS for Music outstanding contribution to British music - Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason

Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams (Take That)

Best song musically and lyrically - The A Team, Ed Sheeran

Lifetime achievement - Mark Knopfler

Songwriter of the year - Adele Adkins

PRS for Music special international award - Jimmy Webb

BASCA fellowship - Andrew Lloyd Webber