It's the party of the year: tonight Britain's most brilliant (and best-dressed) are descending on the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden for the annual GQ Men Of The Year Awards in association with Hugo Boss. Now in its 17th year, the ceremony brings together the best in film, music, TV, books, politics and more. If you can't make it down to the event itself, fear not: we're be bringing you up-to-the minute updates right here on the GQ Live Blog...
*For all the action as it happens, follow @BritishGQ on Twitter and Instagram. *
** Editor's Special: Liam Neeson
Breakthrough Fashion Designers: Agi & Sam
Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man: Douglas Booth
Special Achievement: Paolo Nutini
Vertu Breakthrough: Jamie Dornan
Solo Artist: Pharrell Williams
**10.50 ** The final award of the evening is for Icon of the Year, which goes to the supremely talented Iggy Pop. It's been a great night of awards so far. Stay tuned for our Most Stylish Men and Hottest Women of the Awards, coming soon, and in the meantime, check out all of the red carpet arrivals. Cheers!
10.40 The penultimate award, for Woman of the Year, goes to the one and only Kim Kardashian. "What a huge honour to win Woman of the Year. It's so special. I want to thank my husband for making me feel like the Woman of the Year every single day."
10.35 Ringo Starr wins this year's Humanitarian of the Year. "I truly believe in the David Lynch foundation," he said. "They started to bring meditation into inner-city schools and now it's a fact that in those schools and neighbourhoods violence has gone down. Mediatation brings people back to being human again."
10.30 Colin Firth is this year's Leading Man, after turns in both Hollywood and the West End. "I feel almost erotically flattered," he said. "I'm nearly the same age as
Gentleman's Quarterly. If my life was measured in quarterlies I'd be 216, which seems about the right age to get a gong. I don't quite know what I've done to deserve this."
10.25 Presented by Cara Delevingne, the Solo Artist Award is won by all-round cool guy, Pharrell.
10.20 Meanwhile, the much-coveted Legend Award is won by Van Morrison. "I don't get out much so right after this I'm going to go back in my shell." That's why we love him.
10.15 The Vertu Breakthrough Award is taken by rising star, Jamie Dornan. From The Fall to being cast in Fifty Shades of Grey, he's had a fantastic year.
10.11 Raise a glass to this year's Special Achievement Award, which goes to Paolo Nutini. "I'd like to dedicate this award to my usual men of the year, my father, my manager, and my nonno who's up in the sky right now," he said. "Apart from that, I'm sat back-to-back with Mr Van Morrison, Peter Capaldi, Benedict Cumberbatch... It made me realise how f****** lucky I am."
10.09 If you haven't been there yet, then quite frankly we don't want to know you. This year's Entrepreneur of the Year is won by Andre Balazs, of Chiltern Firehouse fame. Yes, that one.
10.08 One of the big ones: actor of the year: this year swooped by Benedict Cumberbatch. Set to star as Hamlet next year at the Barbican, it seems his star is only set to shine brighter. Congratulations.
10.06 Could Sportsman of the Year gone to anyone better? Step forward, Lewis Hamilton, who said "I want to receive this for my family and for my team. I've been very fortunate to be in F1 for eight years now and I'm extremely grateful." Long may he continue.
10.05 And now to our sponsors of the evening, Hugo Boss. The Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man has got to be someone specal. Luckily, this year the gong falls to Douglas Booth, who, coincidentally, is wearing Hugo Boss.
10.03 Michael Lewis is this year's Writer of the Year.
10.02 Ewan Venters sweeps Innovator of the Year, as presented by Pippa Middleton, and New Order takes Inspiration from musician, Sam Smith.
10.00 The awards are coming thick and fast at the moment, and it's on to TV Personality next, won by the Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi. "I've been very lucky because in the past I've received awards for my acting," he said, upon winning. "This is the first I've received for my personality, which I assume means they've never met me. The reason I've got this award is because I got the chance to play the roll of a lifetime twice.
Malcom Tucker in The Thick Of It. And I also got to play Doctor Who. The real people who know the personality of the year are my family - my mother and my sister and my wife who have put with with my personality and endured it to the point that I can get this."
9.55 This year's Breakthrough Designer is presented by LC:M veteran, the Gandy. The winners are Agi And Sam.
And aren't they deserving winners? We captured International Man of the Year, Jonah Hill, with the pair a few moments ago.
9.50 Michael Lewis takes home Writer of the Year, as presented by Emily Maitlis. GQ's Philanthropist of the Year is won by Tony Blair.
9.47 "I'm incredibly humbled - I'm going to take it to my incredible team tomorrow, put it in the studio and share it," says GQ's Designer of the Year, Christopher Bailey. We always liked him.
9.45 GQ's Chef of the Year, Tom Kerridge, says his man of the year would be Lewis Hamilton.
9.40 Cheesy grins from GQ's Comedian of the Year, John Bishop.
9.35 It's international man of the year time; always a tense moment. And who is it? Jonah Hill, as presented by the ever suave Bradley Cooper. "I want to use this oppurtunity to reach some people," said Hill, upon winning. "Emily Muffat, my first girlfriend I was in love with. In sixth grade you broke up with me over the phone. I was really heartbroken. I was really shattered and sad [laughs]. I don't hold it against you. By the way I'm GQ f****** International Man of the Year. Peace."
9.30 Designer of the year goes to Burberry creative mastermind, Christopher Bailey. Bravo!
9.25 Next up it's the chef of the year, as presented, fittingly enough, by Lindsay Lohan. The winner? Tom Kerridge, of course!
9.20 Break out the champagne! The editor's special goes to Liam Neeson, who is presented his award by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson.
9.15 We're just getting underway with the awards, and the first one is for comedian of the year. Presented by David Walliams, the gong is picked up by Liverpudlian funny man, John Bishop. "I feel like I should thank my wife, even though we've been arguing for three f****** days," he said.
Quite.
9.05 Not long now folks. They're wheeling in the winners' goodie bags, contained in superb Antler suitcases. And Paolo Nutini's got us underway very nicely.
8.50 The night's biggest arrival so far has to go to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. See all the red carpet arrivals here.
8.45 Not long until awards time now. We're getting excited and there are 23 awards to come. Stay tuned.
8.30 Our host for the evening, the incomporable James Nesbitt.
8.25 It's all sparkles for the ladies here tonight. Here's Li Lo on the red carpet.
8.20 Gerard Butler rocking Hugo Boss. Very nice.
8.15 The party's just getting started here. And that's one mega selfie.
8.05 Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats.
Dinner will soon be served.
8.00 Trust Rita Ora to never let us down (see what we did there?)
7.55 The one, the only. Kim Kardashian ladies and gentlemen... Quite an outfit.
7.50 It's Armani and DSquared2 for this evening's attire for Lewis Hamilton, whose stopped for a photograph with Nicole Scherzinger. Looking good.
7.47 Who's that? Lewis Hamilton's just pulled in for a pit stop.
7.45 Jessie J's opted for a daring green number. "Pharrell's my man of the year. He's amazing at bringing a new level of cool to everything he does."
7.40 Is there a doctor in the house? Errr, actually there might be.
7.38 Chanel for Pharrell...
7.37 Of course it's Tom Ford for A Single Man star Monsieur Colin Firth. Just a standard Tuesday night really.
7.35 There's nothing like a back dress shot.
Just ask Ellie Goulding.
7.30 Ringo says #peacerocks. We agree. Wearing John Varvatos.
7.27 Booth in Boss. Slick.
7.25 The Cumberbatch is here! And he's (obviously) utterly charming as ever. Wearing head-to-toe Spencer Hart. Very nice.
7.24 This is how real talk is done.
Exhibit A: Gerard Butler with Samuel L. Jackson.
7.22 Sameuel L. Jackson is in the house. We repeat: Samuel L. Jackson is in the house.
7.20 Next up it's Pharell, wearing, you guessed it, another hat. "GQ has been a staple in men's fashion since I was a child," he tells us. Well if we don't say so ourselves...
7.20 Social media in meltdown over the arrival of one Benedict Cumberbatch (who hasn't actually arrived yet FYI).
But in the meantime, here's Sam Smith looking dapper in front of some flowers wearing Louis Vuitton.
7.15 Wearing Savile Row's Henry Poole and Co, our resident petrol head arrives at the GQ MOTY Awards. Doesn't he make this look easy?
7.10 Next up is Pippa Middleton, who looks gorgeous in Hugo Boss. Her derrière's looking as good as ever, too.
7.00 We've just had our first arrival, and it's Ollie Cheshire in head-to-toe Dolce & Gabbana. Looking sharp.
6.45 It's all kicking off in just half an hour, and we've got all the red carpet action coming soon. To whet your appetites, here's a sneak peek of the setting we'll be treated to this evening. Not too bad, eh... Who will be wearing what? And who will take home the biggest gongs? Follow all of the action on site, as it happens, here.
GQ's Men Of The Year issue is on sale in print with six limited-edition covers, and as a digital edition that you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire or Android device now.