U2 were among the big winners at the annual Q Awards this week, as the legendary Irish rockers walked away with the prestigious Best Live Act gong. Their renowned guitarist The Edge added to the band’s haul, as he was rewarded with the Gibson Les Paul Award.

Adam Clayton and The Edge in attendance

Fellow band member Adam Clayton joined The Edge on the evening, with talented newcomer Jack Garratt presenting them with their joint prize.

Fans of the supergroup will no doubt be eagerly anticipating the imminent release of their new album, which is rumoured to be called Songs of Experience.  

Lifetime achievers

On an evening when many notable music celebrities were singled out for their contribution to the industry, the likes of Ray Davies, Meat Loaf, Madness and Blondie all picked up prizes of their own at London’s The Roundhouse venue. Run by the Music magazine Q since 1990, the Q Awards are widely recognised as one of the biggest events on the British music calendar.    

Grand entrance for Madness

Madness made an extra special effort for their hometown Camden event – as they picked up the Hall of Fame award - arriving in a horse-drawn carriage and donning period garb in the form of Victorian gentlemen.

Their grand costumes were in keeping with the album cover for the ska band’s Can’t Touch Us Now release.   

Best Album category

Despite stiff competition from the formidable talents of Coldplay and the much-missed David Bowie, it was The 1975 that ultimately came out on top in the Best Album category. I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It was their second album and topped both the UK charts and the US Billboard 200 in 2016. They were also nominated but unsuccessful in three other categories this year at the Q Awards.   

The Charlatans performed live

Rounding the evening’s entertainment off in style, indie rock band The Charlatans performed live as they celebrated picking up the Classic Album prize for Tellin’ Stories.

It was a well-deserved affirmation of the ‘Madchester’ group’s place in music folklore since their arrival on the scene in the late 1980s.

Most successful album

Tellin’ Stories became the group’s most commercially successful album after its 1997 release, spawning three top ten singles including the memorable tracks North Country Boy, One to Another and How High. It marked a particularly poignant period in their lives, as it featured the final contributions from founder member of the band, Rob Collins. The former keyboard-player tragically died in a car accident while the band were recording the album.