Queen Celebrate MTV Global Icon Award With Rousing ‘We Are the Champions’

When honored with an award as massive-sounding as the Global Icon Award, what better way for a band to celebrate than to rock out with a song called 'We Are the Champions?' That's exactly what Queen did on Sunday night (Nov. 6) in Belfast, Ireland, when, as expected, they received the honor at the 2011 MTV European Music Awards.

Following the trophy presentation, Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor hit the stage with 'American Idol' star Adam Lambert for an epic Queen medley that included 'The Show Must Go On,' 'We Will Rock You' and the aforementioned 'We Are the Champions.'

Pop superstar Katy Perry presented the award to May and Taylor, using the opportunity to credit the band with inspiring her to pursue music when she discovered Queen at the age of 13. "From that moment on I knew who I was," said Perry, who took home the Best Live award. "I would not be standing here today without the power, the passion and the drama of Queen."

Upon accepting Global Icon honor, May reflected on Queen's lengthy history. "We were at the birth of MTV," he said. "How wonderful for us to be here forty years later."

Wonderful, indeed.