bandmates and were both clearly emotional as they accepted the Polar Music Prize last week from the King of Sweden. The prize was presented to the rock band, along with US jazz musician Herbie Hancock and Canadian conductor Barbara Hannigan during a gala held in Stockholm.

The award was founded by manager Stig 'Stikkan' Anderson, to celebrate the "power and importance of music". It is handed out to individuals, groups and institutions for excellence in the music world - and after the impact Queen has made on the world, it was no surprise Brian and Roger were there to accept.

Sir Brian, 77, paid tribute to his younger self while accepting the gong, admitting: "In this special moment, I contemplate how that younger Brian May in 1974 would have felt if he knew that we would be living this kind of dream 50 years in the future."

Roger Taylor added: "When we started our band... we had ambitions, but never dreamed of the journey that was to follow.

"We were fortunate in the fact that our four wildly different personalities came together to achieve a wonderful chemistry.

"The Polar Music Prize is exceptional in the fact that unlike other awards it recognises the entirety of an artist's career. What an honour to be included in the glittering cavalcade of previous laureates. True Olympian company indeed. We are so proud to be the recipients of this incredibly prestigious award."

The emotional night featured live music from rock band Ghost, who played a rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Current Queen frontman was on hand to perform Who Wants to Live Forever and Another One Bites the Dust.