Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Radiohead pick up John Peel Award For Innovation

Radiohead play 93 Feet East

'In Rainbows' unique release earns the band a gong

Radiohead have received the John Peel Award For Innovation at this year’s Shockwaves NME Awards (February 28).

The Oxford band were awarded the prize, voted for by NME staff, in recognition of the unique release of their last album ‘In Rainbows’, where fans could pay what they liked to download the album.

Explaining their choice, NME Editor Conor McNicholas said: “The arrival of a new Radiohead album is always an event but ‘In Rainbows’ brought with it a storm that shook the record industry to its foundations. Pay what you think it’s worth, they said – a revolution. For years Radiohead have been musical innovators but here they were innovating with the very business scaffolding that supports the band.

“That they did it at all deserves an award, but to do it with such class made it truly a thing worth celebrating.”

For all the awards coverage head to NME.COM/awards now. We have exclusive picture galleries, live webcams, minute-by-minute blogs straight from the ceremony and Big Gig and video interviews with the biggest names at the ceremony.

That's just the beginning - the ceremony is being broadcast on E4 at 11pm (GMT) tonight (February 28), with highlights following tomorrow (29) on Channel 4 from 11.50pm.

Meanwhile, next week's issue of NME - on UK newsstands from March 5 - will contain the ultimate coverage, interviews and photos from the 2008 Shockwaves NME Awards.