Elder statesmen, but Oasis are still bad boys

But it didn't mean they have grown up. Liam Gallagher failed to turn up at the Q magazine awards in London this afternoon, fuelling speculation he was sulking over brother Noel's award for classic songwriting.

See pictures from the awards here

Collecting his gong from the stage, Noel said: "Liam will be f*****g gutted. I guess I should thank our kid for singing all those great songs but he's not here so f*** him. This is all my own work.

"Liam's gone to the zoo. The monkeys are bringing their kids to go and look at him."

Oasis were also crowned best live act, beating the likes of U2.

Other winners at the Grosvenor House Hotel were Take That, returning from retirement to scoop the idol award.

Arctic Monkeys provided the lone voice of youthful rebellion at a ceremony where the average age of the winners was 41, winning the best album award award for their hit debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, and the people's choice award voted for by Q readers.

Frontman Alex Turner collected the award, saying: "A lot of people make jokes of having awards for no reason, there's a lot of pretending people they're good when they weren't. I might be glad of it one day. I might not be old enough to remember or anything but even I know that Take That were b******s really."

The Nineties boy band had been hoping to escape any verbal attacks because of Liam Gallagher's absence.

His brother confided: "One of Take That just saw me outside and said, 'Is your kid here?' I said. 'You'd know about it if he was. Did you really think he would let A-ha and Take That get up without some mindless abuse?'"

Host Jonathan Ross opened the ceremony saying: "There's more drink, drugs and back-biting here than at a McCartney family Christmas."

Other winners included U2, handed the band of bands award, while their guitarist The Edge won the innovation in sound prize.

Corinne Bailey Rae beat Lily Allen, the Kooks and Arctic Monkeys to scoop best new act. Gnarls Barkley's Crazy was named best track, Muse were crowned best live act, best video went to the Killers'When You Were Young, and Karma Chameleon was named Q class song.

Boy George, who was filming the event, said: "I wanted to video this because everyone tells me they f*****g hated this song. No one reviewed it well.

"I'd written much better songs but I'm glad I won it because it means you now recognise me as a singer again and not a road sweeper."

Smokey Robinson took outstanding contribution to music award and The Who took the Q legend award.

The best of the new (and the old)

Corinne Bailey Rae - Best New Act
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley - Best Track
When You Were Young by The Killers - Best Video
A-ha - Q Inspiration Award
Smokey Robinson - Q Outstanding Contribution to Music
Primal Scream - Q Groundbreaker Award
Jeff Lynne - Q Icon Award
Take That - Q Idol Award
Faithless - Q Outstanding Performance
U2's The Edge - Q Innovation in Sound
Noel Gallagher - Q Classic Songwriter
Peter Gabriel - Q Lifetime Achievement Award
Manic Street Preachers - Q Merit Award
Karma Chameleon - Q Classic Song
Muse - Best Live Act
Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys - Best Album
Arctic Monkeys - People's Choice Award
Oasis - Best Act In The World Today
The Who - Q Legend award
U2 - Band of Bands