Music award for Jools Holland

Jools Holland is to be honoured for his contribution to music and music broadcasting at a charity event, it was announced today.

The musician and presenter follows in the footsteps of Tom Jones, Elton John and Andrew Lloyd Webber in receiving the Music Industry Trusts' Award, which will be presented on November 7.

The 53-year-old's career has spanned three decades and seen him release 16 albums.

More than 1,000 guests will attend the charity event in aid of Nordoff Robbins and the BRIT Trust at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Other past recipients have included Beatles producer George Martin, 'James Bond' composer John Barry and Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records.

David Munns, chairman of the award committee, said: "We are delighted that Jools Holland is this year's Award recipient, we wanted someone special for our 20th anniversary and he certainly is that: there is no one in the UK more associated with popularising music than Jools."

Holland added: "How wonderful to be honoured. My lifelong passion is music and I've been so lucky to be able to indulge this for more years than I care to think about."

He started playing piano at an early age, and was founding member of the group Squeeze in 1974. He formed his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in 1987, and they have toured and recorded albums since.

The presenter of the award-winning BBC2 programme 'Later With Jools Holland' lives in Blackheath, south London and is married with four children.