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Tuesday, February 1, 2000

The Beatles receive the “Best Band Ever” NME Award

Last updated on February 3, 2022

From THE WINNERS OF THE NME PREMIER AWARDS, February 1, 2000:

The NME Premier Awards have just finished at the Mermaid Theatre attended by a host of stars including Paul McCartney, Blur, Ian Brown, Super Furry Animals Death In Vegas, Elastica, Mogwai and many more…

There was high drama and bated breath as the nominees were read out.

Blur, Travis and Paul McCartney were amongst the recipients of the prestigious awards. Blur took away best band while Travis stole the artist of the year. Shaun Ryder took Godlike Genius taking his time to get to the stage as the cheers rose. Paul McCartney received the award for best band ever on behalf of The Beatles in person. He chatted to nme.com afterwards.

From PREMIER PAUL (nme.com), February 2, 2000:

On accepting the Best Band of All Time Award for The Beatles he said: “I couldn’t make it to the Brits but this is better anyway.”

He said: “Can I thank you John, George, Ringo and thank you God.”

From LET IT BEATLE! (nme.com), February 3, 2000:

Paul McCartney was ecstatic for The Beatles to receive the Best Band Of All Time Award at the NME Premier Awards.

He told nme.com: “It feels great, particularly because the readers voted for it and because it’s so long after we were playing.y’know? It’s astonding to see the influence is still there. It’s fantastic.”

When asked if he would give it to any other bands he said that Nirvana and the Beach Boys came close but that he’d have to give it to The Beatles who he described as “a fine little group”.

From Paul McCartney: ‘The Beatles used to plant false stories in NME’ – watch
Paul McCartney and Shaun Ryder – NME 12 February 2000

Going further

The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001

"An updated edition of the best-seller. The story of what happened to the band members, their families and friends after the 1970 break-up is brought right up to date. A fascinating and meticulous piece of Beatles scholarship."

We owe a lot to Keith Badman for the creation of those pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - a day to day chronology of what happened to the four Beatles after the break-up and how their stories intertwined together!

Shop on Amazon

The Beatles - The Dream is Over: Off The Record 2

This edition of the book compiles more outrageous opinions and unrehearsed interviews from the former Beatles and the people who surrounded them. Keith Badman unearths a treasury of Beatles sound bites and points-of-view, taken from the post break up years. Includes insights from Yoko Ono, Linda McCartney, Barbara Bach and many more.

Shop on Amazon

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