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Paul McCartney received the Songwriters’ Songwriter award at last night’s NME Awards show, held at the O2 Academy, Brixton.

Photo credit: NME

McCartney was handed the award by Damon Albarn of Blur, who said:

“What can I say other than I love him like millions and millions of other people. He’s a lovely spirit and a beautiful human being.”

Collecting the award, McCartney said:

Thank you…First of all let’s hear it for the NME. Gotta give it up for the NME, man. Oh memories. It’s been going longer than I have. I saw the very first picture of Elvis Presley in the NME…Finally we got down to London and got to meet the people on the NME.

The great thing about songwriting is, we don’t know how we do it, so we can’t talk about it. So thank you!

Damon Albarn was also a winner, picking up the NME Award for Innovation.

The big winners though were the Arctic Monkeys, who won Best Album for “AM,” Best Live Band, Best British Band, and Best Lead Singer for Alex Turner, who was also voted Hero of the Year. They also picked up the Best Fan Community prize.

Best Solo Artist went to Lily Allen, who beat out the likes of David Bowie and Jake Bugg, and joked “This goes to you guys, not me.”

Disclosure won the Best Track award for “White Noise”.

Haim were named Best International Band and Drenge picked up the Best New Band award.

The Outstanding Contribution to Music prize went to Belle & Sebastian, who performed “Legal Man” and “The Boy With The Arab Strap”.

Blondie received the Godlike Genius award and closed the night with an eight-song set comprising “One Way Or Another,” “A Rose By Any Name,” “Atomic,” “Mile High,” “Rapture”/”(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” “Sugar On The Side,” “Call Me,” and “Heart Of Glass”.