IGGY POP WILL RECIEVE LIFETIME AWARD

Singer Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop will receive the Freddie Mercury Lifetime Achievement Award at the Vodafone Live Music Awards tonight. The 60-year-old punk rocker, whose career has spanned five decades, was chosen by a panel of music experts for his electric live performances and iconic anthems. Iggy said: "The live show is the real nitty gritty baby, and when it's done well, it is the most potent form of entertainment and politics. It is evolution made manifest and without it, we would all die or wish we were. I want to thank Vodafone, I want to thank its UK panel. I want to thank the fans that put me up on the stage for so long." The award is named after late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who was renowned for his incredible live performances. The 'Lust for Life' singer, who has been dubbed the 'godfather of punk', is famed for his wild onstage antics, which include stage diving, cutting himself with broken bottles, vomiting and exposing his appendage. The judging panel, who selected all the nominees for this year's awards, comprised of music industry insiders including representatives from Music Week magazine and major record labels. This year's ceremony sees Lily Allen battle rival Amy Winehouse, KT Tunstall and newcomer Kate Nash for Best Live Female. James Morrison, Mark Ronson, Mika and Jamie T will go head-to-head for Best Live Male, while Muse are pitted against Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian and The Arctic Monkeys in the Best Live Act category. Acts confirmed to perform tonight at London's Brompton Hall, include Stereophonics, CSS, Enrique Iglesias, the Manic Street Preachers, Athlete, Kate Nash and Calvin Harris. 50 Cent cancelled his scheduled appearance after his hip-hop rival Kanye West won the UK leg of their chart battle on Sunday.

ROCKER IGGY POP SAYS SORRY

Iggy Pop

Veteran rocker IGGY POP has apologised for using a derogatory racial term during a live BBC interview at the Glastonbury Festival in June. The Lust For Life star - real name James Osterberg - was being interviewed at the British event when he recalled visiting "Paki shops". The BBC swiftly issued an apology for the singer’s use of the disparaging term for a person of Pakistani descent. And Pop himself has now also apologised. He tells website NME.com, "I’m sorry. It was one in the morning (when I said it)… that was a phrase I learned from English people while I was living there. "But it’s terrible. More fool me. Shame on me."

ICON POP STAR IGGY POP TURNS 60

Punk Rocker Iggy Pop (left) turned 60 on Saturday and stripped down to a tight pair of blue jeans and dived off the stage into the arms of his adoring fans during a concert in San Francisco with his reunited band the Stooges.Towards the end of the 80-minute show, the crowd at the Warfield theatre sang along as his bandmates struck up "Happy Birthday," and Pop was surprised as balloons bearing his image dropped from the ceiling. A fan also handed him a white T-shirt inscribed "Birthday Boy Iggy," which the singer proudly displayed to his unimpressed bandmates. Pop, whose real name is Jim Osterberg, seemed thrilled by all the attention, but did not dwell too much on the special occasion. He muttered a few thanks along the way before resuming his usual routine of singing and dancing, spitting into the crowd, smashing into the speakers and throwing his microphone stand around the stage.