Being honest, we were a little nervous.

The A&R Awards, the UK-focused ceremony presented by Music Business Worldwide in association with Abbey Road Studios, took last year off.

We don’t need to go into why. You know full well why.

This meant the 2021 incarnation of the event recognised the work of songwriters, producers, managers and, yes, A&R people, from across the previous 24 months, rather than the usual 12.

You know what that meant? Half the winners.

Had we run two events in two years, literally twice the number of awards would have been handed out.

This was surely not a recipe for a room full of smiling faces.

In the end, though, the night became about something much more than silverware. It was about Doc, Dipesh, and Depeche; Bello and Boatengs; Antwi and Ashley.

And yes, for a few minutes there, it was quite rightly all about Stormzy.

The Sir George Martin Award, the evening’s closer, is decided and deliberated in conjunction with the eponymous great man’s estate.

It is designed to celebrate a contemporary UK music biz figure who not only has achieved great success in the field of A&R, but who the creative community truly trusts… and, dare we say it, who they actually like.

It is, to quote someone from MBW’s own pages, strictly for individuals who follow the creed: “I know it’s the music industry, but you really, really don’t have to be a knob.”

Last night in London, the Sir George Award was received by Alec Boateng, co-President of 0207 Def Jam – and was presented by Boateng’s friend and artful ally, Stormzy.

The Glastonbury-headlining UK artist said of Alec: “There is no one who has taught me more about life and about music, and there is no way that I become the man you see standing in front of you today without his guidance.

“[Alec] is much more than my A&R and my label President. He is my guider, my protector, my mentor and my brother.”

As for Alec’s own speech, it’s impossible to do it justice here. Every time we try, we delete it and start again.

But those who heard those bits – especially a beautifully-crafted tribute to the Windrush generation and its impact on music through the ages – just know.