Veteran singer Sir Paul McCartney is to receive a special prize for outstanding contribution to music at next year's Brit Awards.
The former Beatle is one of the UK's most respected artists with a career spanning four decades and album sales in excess of 100 million.
Ged Doherty, from the Brits Committee, said honouring the 65-year-old would be an "historic moment" for the awards.
The ceremony will take place at London's Earls Court on 20 February.
"Sir Paul McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and a member of Britain's biggest ever group," said Mr Doherty.
Sir Paul formed The Beatles in 1960 with John Lennon.
After leaving the band he went on to launch a solo career and formed the band Wings with his late wife Linda.
In June his 21st solo album release, Memory Almost Full, sold more copies in the US in its first week than any of his other studio albums.
The album reached number six in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five in the UK chart in its first week.
During the last year McCartney's musical career has been overshadowed by divorce proceedings with his estranged wife Heather Mills McCartney.
The couple, who have a three-year-old daughter named Beatrice, announced in May 2006 that they were ending their four-year marriage.
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