U2 won the Global Icon Award at the MTV EMAs

The band were handed the award by singer and actor Jared Leto, who spoke of how the group had "changed his life".

He said: "U2 changed my life. I discovered their seminal album 'The Joshua Tree' and it became the soundtrack of my youth ... U2 isn’t just a band, it’s a way of life. Their songs, our prayers, their concerts, a church. They challenge us, they inspire us and they remind us that every moment in our lives is an opportunity to rise above and be part of the possibilities of life, rather than its problems.

"They teach us it’s okay to mix art and politics, and sometimes - even better - to start a revolution and say f**k you. 157 million records sold, 22 Grammys and the highest-grossing concert tour in the history of the world. One love, one blood, one life."

Once the band were on stage, The Edge quipped that he was the "one boss" of the band.

He joked: "We’ve been making music together for a long time. People always ask, ‘How have you kept your band together?' ... There has to be one boss, one leader, one guy who calls the shots. It’s not an easy gig, let me tell you, but I could not have done this without these guys' support. Truly, they are the wind beneath my wings."

And when the microphone was passed over to Bono, instead of an acceptance speech, he gave the crowd a rendition of Stormzy's track 'Blinded By Your Grace'.