Christine And The Queens has won the first award of the night at the VO5 NME Awards 2017.
Heloise Letissier beat competition from Beyoncé, Solange, Sia, Tove Lo and Lady Gaga to pick up the trophy for Best International Female Artist supported by VO5.
The French star was presented the award by Dutch DJ and producer Martin Garrix. Accepting the prize, she said: “Thank you very much – it’s really humbling for me as a French, weird kid to be awarded that. All the females that are nominated with me are amazing and and present a really strong way to exist as a woman in today’s world and my way is a bit twisted and a bit awkward – so thank you very much for baring with me and see you very soon.”
Stay with us here at NME.COM/awards to get all the latest news, videos, photos and gossip from the ceremony, which will also see Pet Shop Boys receive the Godlike Genius Award and close the ceremony with a live performance.
Voting for the VO5 NME Awards 2017 is now closed. Following thousand votes from NME readers, Beyoncé led the pack going into the ceremony with five nominations. The 1975, Skepta, Christine And The Queens and Bastille followed closely behind with four nods each.
A host of stars and musicians have already hit the red carpet, including Wiley, who was dressed in a full Atletico Madrid tracksuit, Johnny Marr, Biffy Clyro, Slaves, MIA and Isaac Hempstead Wright who plays Bran Stark in Game Of Thrones.
Bastille opened the ceremony tonight at London’s O2 Academy Brixton with a live performance of ‘Good Grief’, which is in the running for Best Track supported by Red Stripe. It also features on their second album ‘Wild World’, which is also up for Best Album supported by HMV.
In addition to Pet Shop Boys and Bastille, Dua Lipa will perform. Wiley will make a special appearance after collecting the Outstanding Contribution To Music award and the Bands4Refugees supergroup will perform covers to raise funds and awareness for Help Refugees.