Cat that got the cream: Yusuf Islam honoured in Ivor Novello awards

He was known to the world as Cat Stevens, one of the biggest pop acts of the late 1960s and 1970s, before he converted to Islam, changed his name and walked away from his musical career.

Yesterday, nearly three decades after leaving the music world, Yusuf Islam cemented his comeback after his work scooped a prestigious Ivor Novello award for outstanding song collection.

The singer-songwriter, who converted to Islam in 1977, was one among several winners whose careers have spanned generations, including Madonna, Elton John and Peter Gabriel.

The awards, presented at the Grosvenor House hotel, are given by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and are recognised as one of the highest honours for songwriters.

Islam was inspired to record his first collection of songs in 28 years by the recent tensions between his adopted religion and the West. The album, An Other Cup, includes compositions that have lain unfinished in his musical memory for years and only recently been completed. The new songs were recorded with the help of the producer Rick Nowels, who has worked with Dido and Rod Stewart. Islam, who received a standing ovation as he collected his award, said he was "honoured" to be receiving the prize and that he wanted to present his side of his religion as peaceful.

His breakthrough album was Tea for the Tillerman in 1970, which included the hits "The First Cut Is The Deepest", "Father and Son" and "Wild World".

This was followed by the 1971 release Teaser and the Firecat, which included "Moonshadow" and the school assembly favourite "Morning Has Broken".

But after his conversion to Islam, he left the music business, saying in a recent interview: "There were 100 reasons for leaving the music industry, not least because I had found what I was looking for spiritually".

He has commented that his musical renaissance was inspired by the desire to "help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross".

Peter Gabriel was honoured with the Novello lifetime achievement award. He started out as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis and went on to forge a successful solo career after leaving the group. More recently, he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts.

The Sheffield group Arctic Monkeys continued their success by winning the best album award for 'Whatever People Say I am That's What I'm Not', the fastest selling album in British history.

Amy Winehouse won in the best contemporary song category with "Rehab", her second Ivor Novello award.