Newly-engaged Matty Healy and The 1975 attend O2 Silver Clefs

Matty Healy and his band The 1975 scooped the award for Best Group at the Nordoff and Robbins O2 Silver Clefs on Friday.

Attending the star-studded event at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, the group – Matty, George Daniel, Ross MacDonald and Adam Hann – were joined by the likes of Clara Amfo and Jessie Ware. 

The newly-engaged singer, who recently proposed to his girlfriend Gabbriette, posed for photos after bagging the gong. 

Matty wore a grey shirt and a black blazer, with his bandmates following suit in matching jackets. 

Elsewhere, Clara looked sensational in a fitted midi dress, while Jessie stood out in a structured floral skirt. 

Nordoff and Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with the O2 Silver Clefs Lunch working to raise money for those it supports. 

Chaka Khan declared music ‘really does heal’ as she picked up her Global Impact Award at this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards.

The ‘Queen of Funk’, 71, was among a raft of stars – including Mark Knopfler, AC/DC, Jessie Ware and Loyle Carner – honoured at the annual ceremony on Friday (05.07.24) at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London.

Chaka said after picking up her trophy – awarded ‘in recognition of her 50 years of international influence’: ‘Music has always been my solace, my strength, my voice, a gift.

‘I’m grateful for this beautiful honour to be part of the Nordoff and Robbins creative community, where the power of music is used to transform, inspire, and bring love to the world. Music really does heal.’

Also honoured at the ceremony were Blur, Texas, The 1975, Ezra Collective, Jacob Collier, Cat Burns and Young Fathers.

Pop singer Jessie Ware, 39, scooped Best Female, while lauded UK hip hop artist Loyle Carner, 29, took home the Best Male Award.

Scottish act Texas received the Outstanding Achievement Award and ground-breaking composer Jacob Collier, 29, picked up the Innovation in Music Award. 

London singer Cat Burns, 24, received the Best New Music Award and the genre busting Ezra Collective won the Contemporary Music Award. 

Along with paying tribute to some of today’s biggest artists, the awards has so far raised £760,000 and counting for Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity.

Bosses of the ceremony said: ‘The star-studded event is the biggest of the year for the charity, raising essential funds for music therapy services in an increasingly challenging social climate where costs are rising, children face a mental health crisis and nearly one million people will be living with dementia by 2030.

Matty’s outing comes after his mother Denise Welch confirmed his engagement to singer Gabbriette Bechtel. 

The couple, who have been dating since September 2023, are yet to publicly confirm they are to marry, but Denise, 66, revealed she has known of engagement ‘for a few weeks’.

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The musician proposed to Gabbriette with a huge black diamond ring worth £10,000.

The day after Denise confirmed the happy news on Loose Women, Gabbriette heavily hinted she would be marrying the singer with an Instagram post.

She took to the platform to share a photo of carousel of photos, the first of which showed her putting a middle finger up, giving followers a clear shot of the gorgeous ring for the first time.

On Loose Women, Denise shared: ‘We couldn’t be happier. She is everything I would want in a daughter-in-law.’

Denise, who met Gabbriette five months into the model and Matty’s relationship, explained that she had been keeping the couple’s secret for a while.

‘I have known for a few weeks that Matty got engaged,’ she told her co-stars. ‘They went over to see their friends Charli [xcx] and George in New York.’

‘I woke up this morning to the fact they’ve put it on Instagram. Instagram official, he has got engaged to Gabbriette. She is from Los Angeles, she is absolutely gorgeous,’ before bizarrely adding: ‘She does have a rat.’

The proud mother said of the ring: ‘Black diamond, he had it made for her and I couldn’t be more thrilled.’ 

Matty and Gabbriette began dating shortly after his whirlwind romance with Taylor Swift that June, and they were spotted enjoying a steamy PDA in New York City.

They have since made several public appearances together, including during Fashion Week and at several The 1975 concerts. 

Often known mononymously as Gabbriette, the star is the lead singer of Nasty Cherry, created by Charli XCX.

She started her career as a ballerina but fell into modelling after being cast in a Blood Orange music video.

In 2023, Gabbriette admitted to Tish Weinstock for Vogue that she was an ‘unpaid, hard-working model for a very long time’.

Gabbriette has since modelled for high-end fashion brands such as Diesel, Bottega Veneta and Marc Jacobs.