The Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 took place last night at London's O2 Brixton Academy, naming Oasis Best British Band at the top of the list of artists who took home the rudely shaped gongs, while Muse received a most deserved award for Best Live Band.
Following up last year's Mercury Prize win for their fantastic album 'The Seldom Seen Kid,' Manchester rockers Elbow picked up the award for Outstanding Contribution To British Music. NME Editor Conor McNicholas explain the choice by saying "They have weathered their fair share of hardship on the way to success - dropped by one label before their debut album was even released, and seeing another label disappear from underneath them. It was the death of a close friend that inspired their current album - one that was self-produced and done without a label but has now gone on to be their most successful... Through all these tribulations the band have never compromised their vision or their music, continuing to make their epic, touching, heart-rending and empowering tunes for those who believed." Too right.
The highlight of the evening's live performances indisputably came from Blur's Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, who played together on stage for the first time in nearly ten years. Coxon last played a live gig with Blur in 2002 before he departed the band in 2002. The appearance came as a last minute surprise to the crowd, who rightly took to it with a bout of hysterics. The pair played an old classic in Parklife's 'This Is A Low' from 1994, revealing a little of what Blur fans can expect when they embark on their reunion tour this summer, including a stop off in Punchestown for our very own Oxegen festival.
If you fancy seeing the show you can catch it on Channel 4 tomorrow night (27th) at 11.35pm. The awards will be followed up tonight by the NME Big Gig at the O2 Arena, headlined by recently named Godlike Geniuses, The Cure, supported by Franz Ferdinand, Crystal Castles and White Lies.
Make your way to the Gossip Page for pictures of the Red Carpet Arrivals...
