April 10, 2008 14:00

Jane's Addiction to win NME Godlike Genius award

Band will be honoured at first US NME Awards

Jane's Addiction are set to be named Godlike Geniuses at the US NME Awards.

Members of the legendary band will come together to receive the award at the ceremony on April 23, which will be held at Los Angeles' Goldenvoice El Rey Theatre.

“When we were in the planning stages of bringing the NME Awards to America, Jane's Addiction were always in our thoughts," explained NME Editor Conor McNicholas of the award. "They are exactly the sort of once-in-a-lifetime, inspirational, aspirational, no-holds-barred, genre-busting, risk-taking, pioneering group which sums up what the NME Awards is all about.

"Breathtaking live, phenomenal on record, they blazed a trail for alternative music from which others have truly benefited over the past 20 years, and it is with the very greatest pleasure that we acknowledge and honour their contribution to making music which makes the world a better, more exciting place to live in."

Jane's Addiction are joining the likes of The Clash, New Order, Primal Scream and Manic Street Preachers, who are among the acts to have picked up the Godlike Genius prize at the UK awards.

NME has decided to give the band the award this year – the first time the awards are being held in the US – to recognise the fact that Jane's Addiction have done more than any other band to introduce American alternative music to the mainstream, founding the touring Lollapalooza Festival and giving what frontman Perry Farrell refers to as the "alternative nation" a real cultural focus and voice.

For more on US NME Awards head to NME.COM/awardsusa now