A boy who lost his eyes to cancer won VIP tickets to a music awards ceremony after his mother shared a video of him singing.

Walthamstow teenager Samih Elsanhouri attended the O2 Silver Clef awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, central London, after his mother Taghreed entered the #LifeChangingMusic competition on Radio X sharing the way music had transformed his life.

Taghreed tweeted a video of Samih, 15, singing, saying: “My son Samih lost his eyes to cancer. Music is his passion and joy and the way he experiences beauty and creativity. Thank you Nordoff Robbins for our great work! Here’s Samih’s cover of Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran #LifeChangingMusic.”

The awards were held in aid of music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.

Winners included Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, The Black-Eyed Peas, Years & Years, Mabel, Sheku, Gary Numan, Bernard Sumner and The Chemical Brothers.

Samih and his mother were presented with the VIP tickets by red carpet host Peter Andre.

When she found out they had won a place at the ceremony, Taghreed said: “I tell my son to do what he loves and to follow his heart. He loves music and so it is especially wonderful that we’ve won this prize simply by sharing Samih’s #LifeChangingMusic story.

"When cancer took Samih’s eyes, music spoke to his soul. Through music I have seen Samih access his inner capacities for strength and happiness.

“The last time he had surgery, Samih was singing as he went in for the anaesthetic.”

Nordoff Robbins is the UK’s leading music therapy charity, dedicated to enriching the lives of vulnerable or isolated people through music.

Sam Smith won Best Male Award. He said: “I'd like to say that Nordoff Robbins is truly sensational - it takes my breath away with the work you do. My uncle is 50 years old, he was born with brain damage and diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, I know music is such an important part of his life.”

Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith also donated £50,000 each to the charity. Other artists honoured were: Dua Lipa, Years & Years, Mabel, Sheku, Gary Numan and The Chemical Brothers.

Best international group went to the Black Eyed Peas. Group member Taboo said: "Five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, this is real talk, I did chemotherapy and fought for my life. I didn't know if I was going make it or not. If chemotherapy didn’t work I would have had to go into radiation - music was the thing that was therapy for me. There were two things that I thought of: one, I was to be there for my wife and kids, and number two I want be back on stage with my brothers Will-I-Am and Apple Rockin showing the world that we can do it."