Island Records president Darcus Beese has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to the UK music industry.

The widely respected exec joined Chris Blackwell's outfit as promotions assistant in 1993, and has worked his way up to the top of the company under Univeral's ownership.

His most famous signing in a string of A&R successes - including Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons and The Sugababes - was the late Amy Winehouse, with ...