Queen take the Icon prize at BMI Awards

Brian May and Roger Taylor attend London ceremony

British rock legends Queen were honoured with the Icon award at the BMI Awards today (October 5). The ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel was hosted by Broadcast Music, Inc, and rewards musicians for their airplay success in the US.

Speaking to BBC 6 Music, Queen guitarist Brian May said:

It means a lot, especially because it’s an American award.

Drummer Roger Taylor added:

Though we were kind of married to America for a long time we never really were very much in terms of awards. We’re not bursting with Grammys, so it’s nice to have that tribute from our peers.

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Other big winners were Van Morrison, for reaching 10 million plays of ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ and Eric Clapton for ‘Layla’ – which has racked up eight million plays in the States – and ‘Tears In Heaven’.

Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet was at the event to acknowledge the four million mark for ‘True’, and The Beatles‘ ‘Michelle’, ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Hey Jude’ were named airplay big hitters too. Irish band The Script had the most plays in the US for a European artist in the last year, for their single ‘Breakeven’.

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