VIDEO: Susan Boyle, Annie Lennox, Snow Patrol and Mark Knopfler among stars hailed at SSE Scottish Music Awards

SINGERS Annie Lennox and Susan Boyle were among the big names hailed at the star-studded Scottish Music Awards last night.

The awards, dubbed the Tartan Clefs, are staged in aid of the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy charity and other winners included rockers Snow Patrol and Mark Knopfler.

Amy Macdonald performs at the 20th year celebrations of the SSE Scottish Music Awards in the SEC (Andy Buchanan)

Annie and Susan were given Hall of Fame awards, while former Dire Straits frontman Mark was presented with the Living Legend Award.

In a specially recorded video message, Annie said: “I just wanted to say thank you so much for giving me this very special award. I’m very, very sorry that I can’t join you tonight, but I’m there with you in spirit.

“I’m so proud of the work that Nordoff Robbins does and all I can say to you is thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Sunday Post columnist Donald MacLeod, chairman of Nordoff Robbins Scotland’s events committee, said the organisation was thrilled to recognise Blackburn star Susan Boyle who is poised for a glittering TV comeback.

She is taking on Paul Potts and 48 other acts in an America’s Got Talent spin-off and will battle for the title of Champion of Simon Cowell’s Got Talent franchise in January.

Donald said: “Susan Boyle is a fantastic success story and it is great that as a vulnerable person herself, she gives such great on-going support to our charity.

“Susan’s achievements on the global stage have not been recognised enough.

“She has sold millions of records worldwide and we were delighted to welcome her into our Hall of Fame.”

Susan opened the night with a stunning performance of Wild Horses before accepting her award.

She said: “I’m very humbled and pleased. I’d like to congratulate Nordoff Robbins on their anniversary. Thank you so much, I will treasure this.”

Mark Knopfler picked up the Living Legend Award, saying: “When I was a little fellow lying in bed not far from here listening to the music of the River Clyde, the noise of the fog horns and the ships, I used to absorb all the sounds of Scotland. A songwriter couldn’t ask to be born in a better place.”

Snow Patrol were named Artist of the Year and the Ticketmaster Tourmaster Award went to comedian Kevin Bridges.

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody said: “Nordoff Robbins is such an important charity.

“It’s what they do for kids and people who don’t have access to music in their lives, and many other things of course.

“We were very lucky growing up, all of us in the band had access to music and art in our lives from a young age.

“The schools that we went to and our parents were very encouraging about music – even though my mum did tell me to keep it down a lot!

“I had access to instruments and was very free and able to play from a very young age so it’s a very, very important cause.”

Indie band Frightened Rabbit won the coveted Songwriting Award, sponsored by legendary Glasgow music venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.

The band was recently devastated by the death of frontman Scott Hutchison who died, aged 36, in May.

As the band accepted the award, Scott’s brother Grant said: “Can we all just go away from tonight and do one thing. Say to yourself ‘While I’m alive I’ll make tiny changes to earth.'”

All funds raised at the SSE Scottish Music Awards will go towards the delivery of music therapy in Scotland and enable Nordoff Robbins Scotland to provide music therapists and sessions to those who need it most.