Elton John to receive first ever BRITs Icon award

Legendary pop sensation, Sir Elton John will be the first recipient of a brand new BRIT Awards annual honour to celebrate the most influential British figures in music, who have made a lasting impact on UK culture. The award will be presented at a celebratory show on 2 September, to be broadcast later on ITV. The monumental event will see the BRITs Icon perform classic hits as well as new songs off his forthcoming album The Diving Board. All proceeds go to the BRIT Trust and the Royal Academy of Music where Sir Elton John trained.

He said: "It's a tremendous honour and a real thrill for me to have my work acknowledged in this way, and I'm really looking forward to participating in what promises to be a very special occasion."

The BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive Geoff Taylor added that Sir Elton had "achieved such a level of artistic creativity and originality, critical acclaim, global recognition and popular success" that he deserved to be recognised as a "true icon of our cultural life".