Ed Sheeran, Team GB and Oxford vaccine inventors among winners at GQ Awards

Ed Sheeran, Team GB and the team behind the Oxford vaccine have all been honoured at this year’s GQ Awards.

The GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2021 in association with Boss were hosted by Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina on Wednesday evening, with a star-studded room of award winners and celebs at London’s Tate Modern.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert and the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine were given the heroes of the year gong, after developing the life-saving medicine that is part of the fight against COVID-19.

Professor Catherine Green, another member of the team spoke of when she got her first jab, saying: “It was an emotional moment for me because I’m there along with other people receiving the AstraZeneca jab. And that meant a lot, because it was the culmination for us of the project that started back in January the year before.”

Arriving in a colourful jacket, Sheeran revealed he had been lent his outfit by Elton John.

The singer said: “I have always been the non-stylish person. I have been lent a nice suit.

“This is from Donatella Versace and basically I have gone round Elton’s for dinner and he said, ‘You’ve dressed terribly for the last 10 years, let me sort you out’.

“So this is Elton sorting me out.”

Team GB and Paralympics GB took home with the Jaguar Outstanding Achievement Award for their efforts at this year’s Tokyo games, while inspiration of the year went to England boss Gareth Southgate, for taking the England football team to the Euro 2020 final.

Also honoured was Sir Anthony Hopkins, 83, who scooped the legend award – months after bagging his second best actor win at this year’s Oscars.

He told GQ: “The Academy had stipulated that the nominees would have to go to either London or Dublin and, at my age, the risk of COVID and all that, I had no intention of going.

“I went to bed, then at about five o’clock in the morning, my buzzer went off on my phone. My agent said, ‘Tony, you’ve just got the second Oscar.’ I couldn’t believe it. We were all up and celebrating.

“So then I made a little speech and a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, sadly gone so young in his life.”

Among the other winners are WandaVision actor Paul Bettany, Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen and singer and poet Arlo Parks.

Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar won Television Actor of the Year award, and dedicated it to his 89-year-old mother Pauline, who beat COVID last week.

The full list of winners is below

Band Of The Year – Wolf Alice

BOSS Breakthrough Actor Of The Year – Kingsley Ben-Adir

BOSS Leading Man Of The Year – Paul Bettany

Deezer Breakthrough Music Artist Of The Year – Arlo Parks

Designer Of The Year – Brunello Cucinelli

Game Changer Of The Year – Dame Vivienne Westwood

Heroes Of The Year – Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Dr Catherine Green and the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine

Icon – Sacha Baron Cohen

Inspiration Of The Year – Gareth Southgate

Jaguar Outstanding Achievement Of The Year – Team GB & Paralympics GB

Legend – Sir Anthony Hopkins