Mojo - The Music Magazine

The MOJO Honours List 2009

The theme was: Reunion!

As the likes of Paul Weller, ZZ Top, Blur, Manic Street Preachers, The Specials, Elbow, Fleet Foxes, Judy Collins and Johnny Marr sashayed their way into the 6th annual MOJO Honours List ceremony, all eyes were on the little lady in the top hat and white scarf. News of Yoko Ono's arrival spread through the room like wild fire as everyone strained to get a glimpse of a woman who has pioneered the art of putting the weird and wonderful into popular music for the last 45 years. The MOJO Honours List has always been a cauldron of exciting musical pairings and 2009's celebration upheld this tradition with aplomb. We watched as Jeff Beck took the stage with Billy Gibbons; Yusuf "Cat Stevens" Islam presented Island founder Chris Blackwell with the MOJO Medal; Bert Jansch met Fleet Foxes; Gruff Rhys honoured the Zombies; Seasick Steve bowed down before the Pretty Things; The Specials and Blur had a big hug. If such a trophy existed, the award for The Most Excited Man In The Room would have gone to Def Leppard's Joe Elliott who delivered a passionate tribute to glam legends Mott The Hoople who appeared on stage together for the first time in more than 35 years. We'll save Joe Brown’s anecdote about Lionel Bart for another day (oh alright, you can watch the video here). But perhaps the last word should go to the recipient of the MOJO Lifetime Achievement Award; "MOJO fans, if you’re listening to me, please keep on supporting MOJO," said a beaming Yoko Ono: "because there's not another magazine like this in the world." Aw, shucks.