U2 Were in Belfast Last Night to Receive Three Hot Press Awards.
This time the band won Best Band and Best Live Act at the annual Hot Press
Irish Music Awards, while Bono was voted Best Male Singer.
Dundalk group the Corrs also had a successful evening picking up the Best
Pop Act, while drummer Caroline was presented with the Rory Gallagher
Musician Award.
Taking place at the BBC's Blackstaff studios in Belfast, Downpatrick band
Ash opened the evening with a rousing rendition of their hit single Burn
Baby Burn and were also invited up to the podium to collect awards for best
album for Free All Angels and best single with Shining Light.
DJ David Holmes received the Special Contribution to Music Culture Award
while Westlife took the Outstanding Achievement in Popular Music Award.
Radiohead bagged the top Live Gig by an International Act for their
performance at Belfast's Odyssey.
U2's shows at Slane Castle last summer won the award for the 'Best Live Gig
In Ireland by an Irish Act'. And as Hot Press reports, 'This was always
going to be a special gig for "The Biggest Band in the World" - a homecoming
of sorts given that they had made their first appearance at Slane Castle
supporting Thin Lizzy twenty years previously. Then, in the week leading up
to the gig, the band were rocked by news of the death of Bono's father,
lending even greater significance to the occaision. Peaking with an
emotional version of "Kite" dedicated to Bob Hewson, Slane 2001 will always
be remembered not merely as a concert, but also as an extra special day that
will live long with those who witnessed it.
The Irish Music Awards will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland tonight
(Friday 26 April) at 2235 BST and on BBC Choice at 1900BST on Sunday.