Blur Win Mojo Award

Blur have made their first public appearance since reforming as they collected a top music prize at the Mojo Awards, known as the Honours List.

Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree were back together to pick up the Inspiration award.

Blur are due to play sell-out gigs in Hyde Park in next month, nine years after their last concert as a four-piece band.

Guitarist Coxon left the band seven years ago.

The group helped define and popularise the Britpop sound in the 1990s, and wrote some of the decade's best-loved songs.

They included Parklife, Country House, The Universal, and Song 2.

Phil Alexander, Mojo magazine's editor in chief, said: "Blur are the greatest band of their generation.

"They're one of the few bands that have inspired their heroes, as well as their peers and those that have come after them."


Here is the full list of winners from Mojo magazine Honours List:

:: Breakthrough Act
White Lies

:: Song Of the Year
Elbow - One Day Like This

:: Best Live Act
Fleet Foxes

:: Best Album
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams

:: Compilation Of The Year
Take Me To The River: A Southern Soul Story

:: Vision Award
Joy Division

:: Catalogue Award
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue 50th Anniversary Edition

:: Classic Album Award
The Zombies - Odessey And Oracle

:: Maverick Award
Manic Street Preachers

:: Hero Award
The Pretty Things

:: Outstanding Contribution To Music
Joe Brown

:: Roots Awards
Topic Records

:: Classic Songwriter Award
Johnny Marr

:: MOJO Medal
Chris Blackwell / Island Records

:: Inspiration Award
Blur

:: Icon Award
Phil Lynott

:: Les Paul Award
Billy Gibbons - ZZ Top

:: Hall Of Fame
Mott The Hoople

:: Lifetime Achievement Award
Yoko Ono



The magazine's sixth annual awards ceremony saw US indie act Fleet Foxes beat competition from Paul Weller, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead and Seasick Steve to take the Best Live Act award.

Weller could take comfort from winning the Best Album prize for his latest work 22 Dreams, particularly as the award means he has now won more Mojos - three - than anyone else.

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono was given a Lifetime Achievement award for her challenging and innovative approach to music.

Alexander said: "She is a huge influence on modern music and this award recognises her inspirational qualities and ongoing questing. Yoko Ono is unique and we are thrilled to commemorate her lifetime on the frontline."

Mojo readers voted Elbow's One Day Like This as Song of the Year, adding to the Manchester-based band's already impressive haul of awards.

In the last 12 months, their album The Seldom Seen Kid has helped them win two Ivor Novello awards, the Brit award for best British group and the Mercury Prize.

Another band reuniting this year are 70s rockers Mott the Hoople, who were honoured by Mojo with a Hall of Fame award. The ceremony took place at The Brewery in London.

Brett Michaels Tony Awards..........

Bret Michaels got lit up after performing at the Tony Awards. Just watch the video below and pay close attention at the end. Every rose does indeed have its thorn.

Michaels and his band Poison performed during the opening number, singing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages." Could this be setting the stage for Poison to become part of the '80s hair band Broadway show?

It sure wasn't "nothing but a good time" at the Tony Awards for Brett Michaels last night -- because after performing in the opening number, dude ran smack into a falling set piece and landed flat on his ass.

A spokesperson for the Tonys tells the AP Michaels just "missed his mark" but wouldn't comment on any injuries except to say his nose wasn't broken.
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Broadway did what Broadway does best to open Sunday night's 63rd annual Tony Awards – delivering an electrifying musical number that starred Dolly Parton, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, the casts of West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Pal Joey, Shrek, 9 to 5: The Musical, Next to Normal, Rock of Ages and Billy Elliot and finished off with a love-in: a rousing rendition of "Let the Sun Shine" from the new best-revival production of Hair that got all 6,000 attendees inside Radio City Music Hall dancing in their seats.

When the spectacle concluded, the evening's host, How I Met Your Mother star Neal Patrick Harris, called it "the biggest and most expensive number in the history of the Tonys. That is why I am your host tonight."

But not everything went smoothly during the elaborate number, which was broadcast live on CBS. Rock of Love reality star Bret Michaels – who hit the stage with his band Poison along with the cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages – ran into a piece of scenery when he missed his mark after performing Poison's hit "Nothin' But a Good Time." He was knocked to the ground, and while the extent of his injury was not known, he did not break his nose, despite wide speculation that he had.

A publicist later told PEOPLE that Michaels was hoping to hit some after-parties but was "getting X-rays." Calling him "a trooper," she added that Michaels "had a blast performing."

Besides the singing and dancing, there were awards, with Billy Elliot, composer Elton John's adaptation of director Stephen Daldry's 2000 film about a boy who lives to dance, sweeping the night as best musical and winning 10 Tonys in all – while French dramatist Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage was named best play.



God of Carnage – an unmannered "comedy of manners" about two married couples in Brooklyn – was also honored for its direction and its leading actress, Marcia Gay Harden.

Angela Lansbury Wins
Oscar winner (for the 1996 film Shine) Geoffrey Rush added to his trophy case with the best actor Tony for the revival of the French existential absurdist tragic-comedy Exit the King, by Eugene Ionesco.

Sopranos star James Gandolfini, now starring in God of Carnage, served as a presenter and "set the record straight," he said. "I am not Shrek." He and costar Jeff Daniels handed over the best featured actress Tony to Broadway favorite Angela Lansbury, for her role as spiritual medium Madame Arcati in the revival of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit.

The win marked Mame and Murder, She Wrote star Lansbury's fifth Tony, and the audience – which included Anne Hathaway – received her with a standing ovation.

"This is amazing," said the veteran actress, 83. "Who would have thought? Who knew at this time of my life that I would be presented with this lovely, lovely award. I can't believe I am standing here."

Audience in Tears
West Side Story's Karen Olivo, who played the defiant Anita, was named best featured actress in a musical. In her acceptance speech, which brought tears to members of the audience, she stressed the importance of surrounding oneself "with people who love you."

Liza Minnelli's concert, Liza's at the Palace, beat Will Ferrell's one-man show, You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush, as best special theatrical event. The indomitable star thanked her parents, showbiz legend Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, for giving her her godmother, musical stylist Kay Thompson.

Next to Normal, an offbeat musical about a family's coping with a bipolar mother, beat Dolly Parton (for 9 to 5) and Elton John (for Billy Elliot) in the best score category, with Tonys going to composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Brian Yorkey – who acknowledged Parton and John's inspiration. Its star, Alice Ripley, was named best leading actress in a musical.

Ouch! Brett Michaels got some karmic retribution for Rock of Love at the 2009 Tony Awards last night. As the newly-reunited Poison left the stage after performing Nothin' but a Good Time, Brett had a run-in with a dropping set-piece, and was knocked on his butt. Who says theatre is dead?

Admit it: you didn't watch the Tonys, but you would've if you knew this was going to happen.

No rock stars were injured in the filming of this awards show.