What is the Q Award?

When I research awards and nominations for various music artists, I tend to find the Q Award for British musicians specifically.  My one question is - what is the Q Award? In this post, I will offer an explanation.

The Q Awards are offered by the UK music magazine, Q.  The annual awards ceremony began in 1990.

"...the Q awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards..." (Wikipedia)

Awards recognize excellence in music and lifetime achievement - more so than "current awards."

The most recent ceremony was in 2018.  Categories include -

Best Act in the World Today - Paul Weller
Best Breakthrough Act - Goat Girl & Idles
Best Live Act - Taylor Swift
Best Solo Artist - Noel Gallagher
Best Track - Underworld and Iggy Pop ("Bells & Circles")
Best Album - Let's Eat Grandma (I'm All Ears)

The launch ceremony in 1990...Categories include -

Best Act in the World Today - U2
Best Live Act - The Rolling Stones
Best New Act - They Might Be Giants
Best Producer - Paul Oakenfold Steve Osborne/Pill 'n Thrills and Bellyaches
Best Album - World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
Best Reissue/Compilation - The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Merit Award - Paul McCartney
Songwriter Award - Prince

As of 1992, the Q Awards offer an addition category - the Q Inspiration Award.  Winners include -

B.B. King (1992)
Donald Fagen (1993)
The Kinks (1994)
David Bowie/Brian Eno (1995)
U2 (1996)
Paul Smith (1997)
Blondie (1998)
New Order (1999)
Joe Strummer (2000)
John Lydon (2001)
Echo & The Bunnymen (2002)

As of 1996, the Q Awards offer an addition category - the Q Lifetime Achievement Award.  Winners include -

Rod Stewart (1996)
The Who (1997)
R.E.M. (1998)

(The full list can be found on Wikipedia.)

When I think of British-based awards, the first band I think of is Duran Duran (surprised...guessing not).  In this post, Duran Duran won the Q Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 and the Q Icon Award in 2015. (Wikipedia)

My take away -
The Q Awards have an impressive history in its honors to musicians who truly deserve the British spotlight.