Sir Paul McCartney, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand and deceased broadcasting legend John Peel were the big winners at last night's (18.02.05) prestigious NME Awards.
The ex-Beatle picked up the prize for Best Live Performance of 2004, for his headline set at the Glastonbury music festival, and made a rare public appearance to collect the gong, in London.
Franz Ferdinand made British musical history after adding the gongs for Best Album and Best Single to their two Brit awards and the much coveted Mercury Music Prize, becoming the first act to claim a prize at all three events in the same year.
A he went on-stage to collect the awards, lead singer Alex Kapranos praised British rock acts Oasis, whose members Liam and Noel Gallagher were in the audience, and New Order for inspiring him and his bandmates.
He said: "When we got together as a group, we wanted to be like the groups that inspired us, like New Order and Oasis."
Peel, who tragically died of a heart attack while on holiday in Peru last year, was honoured with a special award for Lifelong Service to Music to mark over 40 years of his BBC Radio 1 show.
However, Kate Moss's jilted boyfriend, rock star Pete Doherty, failed to turn up at the ceremony and got his mum Jacqueline to phone organisers to tell them he was sick.
The former Libertines singer, who is currently battling heroin and crack-cocaine addiction, was due to perform live and collect the award for Best British Band but pulled out at the last minute.
Full list of NME Awards winners:
Best British Band - The Libertines
Godlike Genius Award - New Order
Best Album - Franz Ferdinand's 'Franz Ferdinand'
Best Event - Paul McCartney/Glastonbury 2004
Best Live Band - Muse
Best New Band - Razorlight
Best Solo Artist - Graham Coxon
Best Track - Franz Ferdinand's 'Take Me Out'
Best International Band - The Killers
The Phillip Hall Radar Award - Kaiser Chiefs
Best Video - Green Day's 'American Idiot'
Best Music DVD - Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe'
Best Film - 'Shaun Of The Dead'
Best TV Show - 'Little Britain'
Best Radio Show - Zane Lowe
Best Dressed - Brandon Flowers, The Killers
Worst Dressed- Britney Spears
Best Live Venue - London Carling Brixton Academy
Best Website - NME.COM
Hero Of The Year - John Peel
Villain Of The Year - George W Bush
Sexiest Man - Brandon Flowers, The Killers
Sexiest Woman - Gwen Stefani
Worst Album - Busted's 'A Present For Everyone'
Worst Band - Busted
(c) BANG Media International
