McCartney set to get Outstanding Contribution Brit

Paul McCartney is set to get the Outstanding Contribution To Music gong at the 2008 Brit Awards next February. The Beatles won the same prize at what was sort of the first ever Brit Awards event in 1977 ('sort of' because that was more of a hall of fame event and preceded the real launch of the BPI Awards by five years), but it's the first time McCartney will have won a prize in his own right. Though rumour has it he was offered it once before but turned it down because he thought an Outstanding Contribution prize would imply he was at the end of his career. The gong will presumably mean McCartney will play the traditional finale retrospective set at the Brits show next year - which will be the first time he has ever been to the awards show.