Birmingham band Duran Duran presented with Lord Mayor’s Award during home city gig

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Maureen Cornish, has presented members of legendary Birmingham band Duran Duran with a Lord Mayor’s Award.

The band were presented with the Lord Mayor’s Award before their homecoming gig at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham city centre on Friday (5 May 2023).

The award was made in recognition of Duran Duran’s outstanding achievement and exceptional service to Birmingham and its people through inspirational and dedicated work as world-renowned musicians, writers, and producers of music, which has raised the city’s reputation for music and creativity.

Lord Mayor said: “The past weekend has been very busy with the Coronation and Great Birmingham Run, but it was great to kick it off by presenting a Lord Mayor’s Award to Simon, John, Roger and Nick at their homecoming gig on Friday. Birmingham is very proud of these Wild Boys, as am I, for putting Birmingham on the international stage.”

Roger Taylor, the band’s drummer, said “It is such an honour to receive this highly prestigious award from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Maureen Cornish. We owe everything to this great city of diverse music and culture, and it will always occupy a huge place in all of our hearts. We also accept this on behalf of all our fans across the globe who have been there by our side for over four decades”

Bassist John Taylor added: “We were all very moved by the Lord Mayor’s award, and her words. We are proud to be a Birmingham band, proud to be Brummies and proud to be Midlanders, and no band-member more so than Mr Le Bon, despite his being from Middlesex! Birmingham raised us and made us and still informs our values. The show last week was one of our best, and we can’t wait to return.”

Nick Rhodes, keyboards, added: “We have always been proud of the fact that Duran Duran began our journey in Birmingham and we will forever be a Birmingham band. There were special venues to play. We played at many of them to sharpen our skills and to try out new ideas before ever venturing out into other cities.

“It was enormously exciting to be part of the Birmingham scene amongst talented artists, fashion designers and a menagerie of beautifully flamboyant, creative individuals who had a unique view of life. We were truly thrilled to receive the prestigious Lord Mayor’s award, as it reminds us of everything Duran Duran is about and of course the place that supported us and helped us launch our career.

“It seems even more meaningful that we were in Birmingham playing a concert more than four decades after forming Duran Duran, and we were able to receive the award personally from the Lord Mayor. We are eternally grateful to the city of Birmingham and deeply touched to have been honoured in this way.”