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BLONDE AMBITION: Singer Kylie Minogue arrives at the Q Awards in London.
Sir Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue and the Arctic Monkeys were the big winners at this year's Q Awards, a celebration of British music.
The Beatles legend received The Q Icon award, Kylie took The Q Idol accolade and Arctic Monkeys claimed the prestigious Best Act In The World Today prize at the glitzy ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.
Paul notably failed to mention his estranged wife Heather Mills in his lengthy acceptance speech, in which he thanked his former Beatles bandmates, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, and his late wife Linda McCartney.
He said: "I've been coming to these things for a long time and you sit there petrified, not knowing what to say, should you tell a couple of dirty jokes?
"I would like to thank George, John and Ringo, the boys. I would like to thank Linda for seeing me though some real tough periods, and my beautiful family, my kids, who are fantastic."
The 65-year-old singer was presented the award by a visibly drunk Damon Albarn, who earlier bemused the star-studded audience with a rambling speech when he collected The Q Inspiration Award.
Other winners included Amy Winehouse who won Best Album for her LP Back To Black, The Enemy who were voted Best New Act and Kate Nash who collected the Breakthrough Artist award. Muse took home Best Live Act, while Manic Street Preachers won Best Track for Your Love Alone Is Not Enough and Kaiser Chiefs claimed Best Video for Ruby. All the 'Best' categories, plus Breakthrough Artist, were voted for by readers of Q and Q4Music.com, with Best Video also voted for by Q TV viewers, while the remaining 11 winners were chosen by the music magazine.
Host Jonathan Ross - who has presented the awards for a number of years - continued his tradition of rock-star baiting by attacking a host of stars including Robbie Williams and Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding.
When introducing the winner of The Q Hero award, which went to the late record label boss Tony Wilson, he said: "I thought this was going to be given to someone with a superhero power, like Robbie Williams being invisible in America, but no!"
He then laid into Sarah as he was naming singer Ian Brown as the winner of The Q Legend, saying: "Last year's winners were Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who. It was great to see the pair back together again, like Sarah Harding's legs."
The full list of winners at the Q Awards 2007:
Best New Act: The Enemy
Best Track: Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Breakthrough Artist: Kate Nash
Best Video: Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
Q Classic Song: Stereophonics - Local Boy In The Photograph
Q Classic Album: The Verve - Urban Hymns
Q Innovation in Sound: Sigur Ros
Q Lifetime Achievement: Johnny Marr
The Q Merit Award: Ryan Adams
The Q Hero: Anthony H. Wilson
i Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Best Live Act: Muse
The Q Legend: Ian Brown
Q Classic Songwriter: Billy Bragg
The Q Inspiration Award: Damon Albarn
Best Act In The World Today: Arctic Monkeys
The Q Idol: Kylie Minogue
The Q Icon: Sir Paul McCartney
