So thank you for the music: Superstars hailed at awards
Annie and SuBo saluted at charity’s ceremony
Singers Annie Lennox and Susan Boyle were hailed at the star-studded Scottish Music Awards last night.
The awards, dubbed the Tartan Clefs, are staged aid of the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy charity and other winners included rockers Snow Patrol and Mark Knopfler.
Annie and Susan were given Hall of Fame awards, while former Dire Straits frontman Mark was presented with the Living Legend Award.
In a specially recorded video message, Annie said: “I just wanted to say thank you so much for giving me this very special award. I’m very, very sorry that I can’t join you tonight, but I’m there with you in spirit.
“I’m so proud of the work that Nordoff Robbins does and all I can say to you is thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Sunday Post columnist Donald MacLeod, chairman of Nordoff Robbins Scotland’s events committee, said the organisation was thrilled to recognise Blackburn star Susan Boyle who is poised for a glittering TV comeback.
She is taking on Paul Potts and 48 other acts in an America’s Got Talent spin-off and will battle for the title of Champion of Simon Cowell’s Got Talent franchise in January.
Donald said: “Susan Boyle is a fantastic success story and it is great that as a vulnerable person herself, she gives such great on-going support to our charity.
“Susan’s achievements on the global stage have not been recognised enough.
“She has sold millions of records worldwide and we were delighted to welcome her into our Hall of Fame.”
On the night, Snow Patrol were named Artist of the Year and the Ticketmaster Tourmaster Award went to comedian Kevin Bridges.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody said: “Nordoff Robbins is such an important charity.
“It’s what they do for kids and people who don’t have access to music in their lives, and many other things of course.
“We were very lucky growing up, all of us in the band had access to music and art in our lives from a young age.
“The schools that we went to and our parents were very encouraging about music – even though my mum did tell me to keep it down a lot!
“I had access to instruments and was very free and able to play from a very young age so it’s a very, very important cause.”
Indie band Frightened Rabbit won the coveted Song Writing Award, sponsored by legendary Glasgow music venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. The band was recently devastated by the death of frontman Scott Hutchison who died, aged 36, in May following a battle with depression.
Geoff Ellis, chief executive of DF Concerts said: “King Tut’s is recognised as a launch pad for many artists and as far as Scotland goes, it’s a venue that most bands start off in.”
Nordoff Robbins is such an important charity. It’s what they do for kids and people who don’t have access to music in their lives – Gary Lightbody