Coldplay's Luton song awarded 'Moment of the Year'

The moment when Coldplay performed a song dedicated to Luton Town at Radio 1's Big Weekend following a radio station campaign has been marked at an awards ceremony.

BBC Three Counties Radio had lobbied for singer Chris Martin to change the lyrics of the British band's song Yellow to reflect the Hatters' orange football kits.

When performing in Luton last May, the singer instead performed a song called Orange that he had written the night before, dedicated to the club and the town.

The station won Moment of the Year at The Radio Academy's Audio and Radio Industry Awards (Arias). On stage, presenter Justin Dealey dedicated the win to his listener Bex Starr, who first suggested the lyric change.

He also accepted it in memory of his father John Dealey, a lifelong Luton Town fan, and his father-in-law Colin Berry, the broadcaster and Eurovision spokesperson who died in April.

Ms Starr had suggested switching the band's song to Orange as Luton Town's arch rivals Watford play in Yellow.

While performing at the Big Weekend, Martin explained to the crowd he was warned he might never make it out of Luton alive if he sang Yellow.

Emotional fans in the audience, several wearing Luton Town shirts, cheered as he introduced the new song he said he had finished in his hotel room the night before.

The ode to the town included the lyrics: "We didn't win all our matches, we didn't win the cup. But when you get knocked down in Luton, you always get back up."

After leading a sing-along of the chorus of "I love you Luton", he added there was "no disrespect to Watford".

Mr Dealey insisted the prize - voted for by the public - was "a massive team effort" and thanked those who cast their votes.

He admitted some of his colleagues and listeners told him the campaign to change the lyrics was never going to work.

"Everyone burst out laughing," he recalled.

"Next time you have an idea and somebody laughs at you - keep going. Because that's how we got the biggest band in the world to write a song about a town I love."

The radio station also picked up a silver award for its overall coverage of Radio 1's Big Weekend.

Brett Spencer, co-executive editor of BBC Three Counties Radio and BBC Radio Northampton, said: "It's an award that belongs to everyone at the station. We broadcast 21 hours of live radio from the event over the weekend.

"It's also a great tribute to the people of Luton who are so passionate about their town."

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