Little Mix have won the best live act prize at the O2 Silver Clef Awards – the only one to be voted for by the public.
The four-piece group fended off competition from the likes of Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Stormzy and Take That to win the prestigious accolade.
They have become the first female group to win the award in the ceremony’s history, and join the ranks of previous winners including Sir Paul McCartney, Arctic Monkeys and One Direction.
Little Mix, comprised of Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, scored more than 50% of the total vote.
They said: “We can’t thank our fans enough for awarding us with the best live act!
“To win in such company as these nominees, and be the first female act to take home the award is an incredibly proud moment for us. We have so much respect for Nordoff Robbins and the work that they do, it is such a wonderful charity.
“We really are so honoured to receive this award at the O2 Silver Clefs today.”
The Silver Clef best live act prize, sponsored by Ticketmaster and Live Nation, comes after the X Factor-winning band picked up the best British single gong at the Brit Awards in February.
Andrew Parsons, MD Ticketmaster UK said: “Ticket-selling phenomenon Little Mix made history by becoming the first and only group to win The X Factor, and thanks to their loyal fans, they are now the first female act to win the Best Live Act award.
“It was great to see the band make the shortlist for the second year in a row, and winning the award is thoroughly deserved.”
Nordoff Robbins, the music therapy charity that funds the awards, has already announced the nine other winners for Friday night’s event.
Dame Shirley Bassey will receive the leading prize, the O2 Silver Clef Award, Nile Rodgers will pick up the international award and Blondie the outstanding achievement award.
Other winners include Phil Collins, Emeli Sande, Alexander Armstrong and Mumford and Sons.
The O2 Silver Clef Awards are held to recognise and celebrate the talent of the winning artists who touch the lives of people through their music, and the event helps to raise vital funds ensuring that Nordoff Robbins is able to continue to deliver its brand of music therapy to support vulnerable people across the UK.
