Ariana Grande has dedicated her Hero of the Year win at the VO5 NME Awards 2018 to “the real heroes – the people of Manchester”.
In a statement from Ariana’s team, the American star responded by saying: “We really appreciate everyone who has voted tonight, but I’d like to dedicate this award to the real heroes – the people of Manchester, the brave young men and women who stand together.”
Grande’s One Love Manchester concert was also recognised as Music Moment of the Year at the award ceremony at south London’s O2 Academy Brixton last night (February 14).
Her benefit gig in June 2017 – whose performers included Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Little Mix, Coldplay and Liam Gallagher – raised more than £10 million in donations for the British Red Cross after the tragic bombing after her concert at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017.
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Elsewhere in the evening, Garbage‘s Shirley Manson picked up the NME Icon award, using her speech to call for broader representation on festival line-ups.
“The fact that women at my level enjoy under seven per cent representation is unacceptable,” she said. “I call upon any musician in this room to stand up and really call out festivals for not representing women, in particular women of colour, our black sisters. We need to make a change. It’s vital.”
Other winners on the night included Loyle Carner (Best British Solo Artist), HAIM (Best International Band) and Liam Gallagher, who picked up the Godlike Genius Award before performing a live set at the end of the award ceremony.