HONDA MOTORCYCLES AT THE 2018 Q AWARDS

There are a number of big nights in the calendar each year for the UK music industry to look forward to, but few are as eagerly anticipated and have such a long and illustrious history as the annual Q Awards. Now in its 28 th year, the Q Awards are now firmly established as one of the most prestigious prizes handed out to bands and musicians in the UK each year. The event has gone from strength to strength after a new format was introduced in 2017 and 2018, and this year's Q Awards 2018 in association with Absolute Radio will once again follow that successful format.

Seven main awards are up for grabs, including Best Album, Best Solo Artist and highly sought- after Best Act in the Word Today. But no prestigious awards ceremony would be complete without a special lifetime achievement award, and we're delighted and proud to announce Honda Motorcycles are the sponsor of the 2018 Q Lifetime Achievement Award. 

For the latest updates from the event, see below:

Q Magazine 

Q Magazine is firmly established one of the UK's most popular and highly regarded music publications after being founded back in 1986 by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth. The magazine was originally going to be called Cue – as in cueing a record or track ready for playing – but that name was discarded to avoid people confusing it with a snooker magazine. Instead, Q was chosen as a single-letter name would likely be given greater prominence on newsstands.

Q Awards

The Q Awards themselves were first held in 1990, and they've now become one of the biggest and most publicised music awards in the UK. The awards have been held at various venues over the last 28 years such as The Park Lane Ballroom and even the world famous Abbey Road Studios. This year the glittering ceremony will be held at the renowned London live music venue The Roundhouse, and it remains to be seen if the event will generate any of the controversy some past years have brought. For example, in 2004 Elton John accused Madonna of cheating her fans by miming during her live performances. The accusation itself would have been stinging enough, but the fact it came just after she collected the award for Best Live Act made it all the more sensational!

Honda Fireblade, Monkey, CB1000R and Cub

Four of Honda's most iconic motorcycles will be on display at various stages of the awards to coincide with Honda Motorcycles sponsoring the Q Lifetime Achievement Award; the Monkey, CB1000R, Cub and the legendary Fireblade.

The new Honda Super Cub C125 was recently unveiled at the Paris and Intermot motorcycle shows, and it's likely start appearing in dealerships later in the autumn. This latest incarnation of the Cub marks the 60 th anniversary of this legendary bike, but although the styling stays true to the iconic design everyone recognises, it will also feature such modern additions as LED lighting and a Smart Key system. 

Powering the new Cub is a semi-automatic 125cc engine housed in a durable chassis with long travel suspension. The Cub's combination of retro-chic and modern tech could make it the coolest way of negotiating the inner-city commute. And it's sure to get plenty of admiring glances from those attending the 2018 Q Awards as many will have ridden and owned Cubs in the past.


Another icon making an appearance at the awards is the 2018 Honda Monkey, which dates back this time to the 1970s. Originally developed as a child's plaything, the Monkey quickly gained a cult status in its own right and now it's back with a redesign for 2018. It still has the classic air-cooled engine, but whereas the original was a modest 49cc unit this redesigned model boasts a 125cc engine developing 9.25bhp and 8.1 lb.-ft. of torque. The styling has a modern slant too, but it's still instantly identifiable as a Monkey bike.

Third of the quartet of Honda motorcycles making an appearance is the latest version of the much-loved CB1000R. This one hasn't been around anywhere near as long as the Cub or the Monkey as it first appeared as recently as 2007 as a replacement for the CB900F Hornet. The 2018 model doesn't go all retro on us and it doesn’t go frighteningly futuristic either. Instead, the 2018 Honda CB1000R is a stunningly desirable roadster that has a daringly different style all of its own. 

Last, but by no means least, is perhaps the most famous Honda motorcycle of recent times, the legendary Fireblade. Whether it's the standard Fireblade, the SP, or the road legal homologation special Fireblade SP2 that's as close as possible to the racing bike, few bikes stir the soul like one of these. Introduced in 1992 with an 893cc engine, the Fireblade quickly set a new precedent for its obsession with light weight and incredible performance in the super bike class. Today's Fireblades now boast a 998cc engine instead of the original 893cc unit, but it's still setting the standard in its class and will be upping the ante even further when a new
redesigned model is unveiled for 2019.

Rolling out the red carpet...

A few familiar faces arrive

AND THE WINNER IS...

The winner of this years Lifetime achievement award is Brett Anderson - the charismatic lead singer of the English alt rock band, Suede.With three number one albums to the bands name, and over 30 singles - in their heyday, the band were celebrated icons of the British music scene.2018 has already been a big year for Anderson, having released his autobiography ‘Coal Black Mornings’, he now has an illustrious Q Lifetime achievement award to add his to collection.