Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar dedicates GQ Men of the Year award to his mother who survived Covid

Ed Sheeran and Gareth Southgate also won big prizes at the ceremony

Adrian Dunbar has dedicated his GQ Men of the Year award to his 89-year-old mother who has beaten coronavirus.

The Line of Duty star was named television actor of the year at the ceremony on Wednesday evening (1 September).

Singer Ed Sheeran, Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page and England manager Gareth Southgate were also honoured at the awards alongside the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Speaking on stage at the event, Dunbar thanked the BBC, Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio and his co-stars and “best mates” Vicky McClure and Martin Compston.

He added: “But I’d really like to dedicate this award to my 89-year-old mother Pauline, who beat Covid last week.”

Dame Vivienne Westwood was named game changer of the year during the ceremony.

The fashion designer used her acceptance speech to call for action on climate change, saying: “We must do what we can. Strike at the very structure of our economy. Our economy is the cause of climate change. Its name is military industrial conflict. It’s a war machine.”

Sheeran, who has been top of the charts for nine weeks with his single “Bad Habits”, was named solo artist of the year, while Page, the breakout star of the Netflix period drama Bridgerton, was given the standout performance of the year prize.

Southgate, who led the England team to the final of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, was hailed as the inspiration of the year.

It was previously announced that Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Professor Catherine Green and the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine would be given the heroes of the year award.

Also honoured at the ceremony at London’s Tate Modern was Sir Anthony Hopkins, who won the best actor Oscar earlier this year and was given the legend prize.

Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen was given the icon honour, while Arlo Parks was named breakthrough music artist of the year and WandaVision star Paul Bettany was named leading man of the year.

The ceremony, hosted by actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, saw Wolf Alice named band of the year.

Quentin Tarantino was named writer of the year while Team GB and Paralympics GB were given the outstanding achievement of the year prize.

Journalist and television presenter Piers Morgan also attended after broadcasting watchdog Ofcom earlier announced he did not breach the broadcasting code with his comments on Good Morning Britain about the Duchess of Sussex.