A host of stars came together Friday (June 30) to celebrate some of the biggest artists in music at the annual O2 Silver Clef Awards, in support of music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
Over 1,000 guests attended the charity’s annual fund raising event to honor winners Dame Shirley Bassey, Phil Collins, Blondie, Nile Rodgers, Emeli Sande, Mumford & Sons, Pete Tong, Alexander Armstrong, Anne-Marie and Little Mix, the only winners to be selected by public vote.
Presented by Edith Bowman at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, the awards recognised and celebrated the powerful impact of music, bringing the creme of the music industry together with celebrity supporters and influencers to raise money for the Nordoff Robbins charity, which uses music therapy with vulnerable children and adults across the UK.
The event featured the hotly anticipated AEG Presents Auction with some incredible music memorabilia and packages including: a Phil Collins signed drum skin, a Nile Rodgers signed Fender guitar, Original James Bond Goldfinger posted signed by the 2017 02 Silver Clef winner Shirley Bassey, an Alice Cooper experience, meet and greet at his show and a round of golf! Ed Sheeran signed lyrics, gold disc and Marshall amplifier. The total amount generated for Nordoff Robbins on the day was £663,000.
Other guests and awards presenters in attendance included Melanie C, Naughty Boy, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton, Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Robert Plant, Jamie Theakston, Martine McCutcheon and Barry Gibb, plus Nordoff Robbins supporter Peter Andre, who was interviewing the stars on the blue carpet.
During the ceremony, attendees heard how the funds being raised through the O2 Silver Clef Awards helps support vulnerable people through music therapy through Nordoff Robbins charity, including 17-year-old Evie, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2016. After her operation to remove the tumour Evie woke up to find she was left paralysed on the left side of her body, which meant everything was affected – including her voice. Music therapy has helped Evie for the better; through music therapy sessions and with the assistance of her music therapist Bev, she has been helped unconditionally physically and mentally, as she now plays the keyboard and sings. To find out more about how music therapy helps vulnerable people, and hear about the many others who have benefitted from Nordoff Robbins, please visit: https://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/what-is-music-therapy
Dame Shirley Bassey, who won the O2 Silver Clef Award, said: “Music I have always believed is magic. This week I was invited by Nordoff Robbins to sit in on one of their therapy sessions, and to see how each person reacted to the sound of music was truly magical It has been magical for me because it has helped me through many a tragic moment in my life. So thank you Nordoff Robbins, for all that you do, and thank you Silver Clef Awards for this afternoon, for today. Here is to the magic of music.”
Phil Collins, who received the American Express Innovation Award, said: “Thank you very much for giving me this award. The work that (Nordoff Robbins) do is quite staggering and it’s lovely to get in and reach the people who need to be reached. So it’s a wonderful story really, going from strength to strength. It does mean a lot to me – I look a bit of a shambles with a stick and limping but that’s the result of back surgery and a dodgy foot, but I can still sing and I’m across the road in the garden later (Hyde Park). But thank you very much for inviting me.”
Anne-Marie, who received the Jack Daniel’s Best Newcomer Award, said; “I want to thank Nordoff Robbins for this. I think you’re absolutely amazing. I have always believed that music has healed me in every situation I’ve been through in my life – thank you so much for giving that to other people as well.”
Blondie star Debbie Harry, speaking on behalf of the band, who were awarded with the Amazon Outstanding Achievement Award, said; “Thank you for presenting us with this wonderful honour. I couldn’t be happier to receive an award that is about music and what it does for people, because it certainly has done a lot for me.”
Nile Rodgers, winner of the Raymond Weil International Award, said; “I can’t believe this, that I’m in this room with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins…when I was a kid I used to dream of being in the rock and roll business…It’s unbelievable, it’s so incredible to me. I thank you. I am so honoured.”
Mumford & Sons won the Royal Albert Hall Best Group Award. Marcus Mumford said; “We’re really honoured to be here today. Robert Plant just said some really nice things about our band and I can’t tell you what that means to us. We’re really honoured to be a part of this community, this rich music industry and the legacy and the heritage. We genuinely really are honoured to be part of it and we thank you.”
Perrie and Leigh-Ann from Little Mix, the winners of the public vote for the Ticketmaster Best Live Act Award, said by pre-recorded message; “Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for voting for us as the Best Live Act at the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards. We are so proud to be the first female act to win the award, it is such an honour.”
The full list of winners and presenters at the 2017 O2 Silver Clef Awards were:
O2 Silver Clef Award · Dame Shirley Bassey (presented by Alfie Boe & Michael Ball)
American Express Icon Award · Phil Collins (presented by Eric Clapton)
Amazon Outstanding Achievement Award · Blondie (presented by Johnny Marr)
Raymond Weil International Award · Nile Rodgers (presented by Alice Cooper)
Royal Albert Hall Best Group Award · Mumford & Sons (presented by Robert Plant)
Best Female Award · Emeli Sande (accepted by Naughty Boy on behalf of Emeli Sande)
Bose Innovation Award · Pete Tong (presented by Becky Tong)
Jack Daniels Best Newcomer Award · Anne-Marie (presented by Melanie C)
PPL Classical Award · Alexander Armstrong (presented by Jamie Theakston)
Ticketmaster Best Live Act Award · Little Mix (presented by Peter Andre)
