U2 Heads The ‘Q’ For Mag Awards

Readers of the glossy monthly Q magazine have voted U2 the best act ever, while Oasis is the choice for current best.

The Irish band was presented with the awkwardly named “Award of Awards” award at an October 30th bash at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, while Oasis polled the most votes in the “Best Act In The World Today” category.

“Oasis and U2 have remained perennially popular with Q and its readers. In handing out four awards between them, Q magazine and its readers have once again restated the high regard in which we hold them both,” editor Paul Rees said in a statement.

Apart from winning the special one-time-only Award of Awards, an accolade the band earned for polling the most votes from Q readers through the magazine’s 20-year history, guitarist The Edge was honored with the “Innovation In Sound” award.

Noel Gallagher made it two prizes for Oasis by picking up the classic songwriter gong.

Arctic Monkeys also won two, taking best album for Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and the people’s choice award.

The annual lunchtime awards ceremony has become notable for some expletive-ridden acceptance speeches and controversial statements, much enjoyed by a crowd fueled by early drinking.

Sir Elton John once used them to accuse Madonna of lip-synching, and last year Liam Gallagher called Chris Martin a “plantpot.” But this year’s bash – apart from a couple of moments – appears to have been a more sober affair.

Appearing on a winners’ list that The Guardian described as being like “a roll call of heroes from decades past,” Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys admitted he was too young to know most of them but was still aware that “Take That were bollocks.”

Take That won the idol award and refused to rise to the Arctic Monkey bait, although band member Jason Orange still managed to provide some amusement of his own.

“We used to do the Smash Hits awards and all that so it’s nice to be acknowledged by a credible magazine,” he explained before quickly adding, “Not that Smash Hits wasn’t credible.”

The roll call of winners The Guardian described included ’60s legend Smokey Robinson, the ’70s’ Jeff Lynne, the ’80s’ A-ha and the ’90s’ Take That.

Adding in Oasis, U2, Boy George, Peter Gabriel, and The Who, the paper pointed out that one guest worked out that the average age of the winners of the two dozen awards was 41.

Other winners include Corinne Bailey Rae (best new act), A-ha (inspiration award), Smokey Robinson (outstanding contribution), Jeff Lynne (icon), Peter Gabriel (lifetime achievement) and The Who (Q legend award).

– John Gammon