Liza Minnelli picks up Icon award

1 July 2011 Last updated at 15:34 GMT Minnelli joked onstage that her award was so heavy that "my new knee is going" Veteran US singer Liza Minnelli has picked up the Icon prize at the Silver Clef awards in central London.

Praising the organisers, music therapy charity Nordoff Robins, she said that when she felt "cranky" she "put some happy music on and it heals me up".

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was named live act of the year while Annie Lennox was recognised for her outstanding contribution to UK music.

Status Quo, meanwhile, picked up the lifetime achievement prize.

"What I wanted to say is I believe in this project more than anything I've heard in the last 20 years because I do believe in the healing power of music and even lyrics," Minnelli, 65, said in her acceptance speech.

"Sometimes a lyric can completely change your mind, which is what this is about."

Presenting the Icon award to his friend, chat show host Graham Norton said he had been a guest at her fourth wedding, in 2002, to David Gest.

The couple divorced in 2007.

"If God is good I'll go to the next one and possibly the one after that," Norton joked.

'Phenomenal news'

Best newcomer Tinie Tempah, meanwhile, said winning best newcomer was "a really nice way to start the day" which would end "with a bang" when he performed at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park later.

Asked backstage where he kept all his gongs, the double Brit Award-winner said: "I've got so many on my kitchen table 'cos I've nowhere to put them yet but, the minute I get some space, I'm gonna do it up nice."

McFly won the digital innovation award for their website

Sir Paul, who could not attend the event, said his win - decided by public vote - was "phenomenal news".

The 69-year-old, who has this year played in countries including Peru, Chile and Brazil, begins a US tour on 15 July at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Canadian stars Arcade Fire were named Ambassadors of Rock, Alfie Boe won the classical award and McFly picked up the digital innovation award for their website.

DJ trio Swedish House Mafia won the international award and Biffy Clyro won best best British band.

Annie Lennox enjoyed global success with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics with hits including Sweet Dreams before forging a career as a solo singer with songs including Walking on Broken Glass.

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BBC hands back Panorama RTS award

28 June 2011 Last updated at 10:52 GMT Primark said millions of people had been "deceived by Panorama" The BBC has handed back an RTS award won by Panorama documentary Primark - On The Rack after the BBC Trust ruled a scene may not have been genuine.

The corporation said on Monday "a serious error" was made and it would be "inappropriate" to keep the award.

The trust ruled on 16 June it was "more likely than not" that a scene showing boys working in a Bangalore clothing workshop was "not genuine".

But reporter Dan McDougall, who filmed the scene, called the ruling "unjust".

The documentary, shown on BBC One on 23 June 2008, won a current affairs prize at the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards in February 2009.

The contested undercover footage showed three boys "testing" Primark brown vest tops to make sure that sequins would not fall off.

The trust ordered an on-air apology which was broadcast before last week's edition of Panorama.

The apology was also published on the front page of the Panorama website.

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We acknowledge that a serious error was made and therefore it would be inappropriate to keep the RTS award”

End Quote BBC statement The BBC said on Monday that it had "apologised for including a short section of film which could not be authenticated in the programme".

"We acknowledge that a serious error was made and therefore it would be inappropriate to keep the RTS award."

Following the BBC Trust's ruling, Primark said millions of people had been "deceived by Panorama".

"Viewers who watched the programme, shoppers who were then fed the lie, sourcing experts who believed the lie, teachers and pupils who viewed the programme in lessons, have all been badly let down," a spokesman said.

But freelance journalist Dan McDougall said: "In the BBC Trust's own words, there is not 'one piece of irrefutable and conclusive evidence' to support the allegation that the sequence in the programme had been staged," he said.

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