Factory designer Saville salutes friend Wilson's creative spirit.

The man behind Factory Records' iconic artwork paid tribute to Tony Wilson in the first Music Week Awards since the Factory Records co- founder passed away last August.

Legendary designer Peter Saville, who started Factory with Wilson, used the platform of last Thursday's ceremony to salute his former colleague's spirit of creativity, which he said allowed the label's employees to pursue their goals without being bossed around, so creating a springboard for great acts.

Saville was also on hand to present the Independent Record Company Of The Year award, which was won by Ministry Of Sound after a year that has seen it score a number of hit singles, including tracks by Ida Corr/Fedde Le Grand and Mason, as well as big-selling compilations such as The Annual 2008 and Classic Trance Nation,

Ministry of Sound head of compilations Duncan Collins, who picked up the award, offered his own tribute to Wilson. "Tony Wilson inspired an amazing amount of people in the music business and his spirit really does live on," Collins said.

"You could say Tony Wilson and Ministry of Sound come from opposite sides of the music world in terms of sound, but we hope that we share a lot of the same attitude."

Another indie stalwart - Era chairman and independent retailer Paul Quirk - was honoured on the night, receiving a special award for services to music retail.

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