One Direction scored a surprise by beating the likes of Ed Sheeran and Adele to win the Best Live Act prize at the O2 Silver Clef Awards for the second time in their career – despite currently being on hiatus.

The British boyband won more than 60% of votes in the public poll – the only award of the evening to be decided by a public vote – to beat out the massively popular Adele, Ed Sheeran and Little Mix who have all held huge tours in 2016. Adele has been sweeping the board at pretty much every music awards ceremony since she released 25 last November, while Ed Sheeran’s huge stadium concerts last summer ranked as some of the most well-received in recent memory.

One DirectionOne Direction at the BBC Music Awards in December 2015

The awards ceremony is held in London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Friday afternoon (July 1st), but all the winners have been announced in advance.

The group, which completed its most recent world tour in November last year, said in a statement on Friday morning: “Thank you to all our fans for voting. Our live show is so important and it is amazing for this to be recognised… for the second time.”

More: Zayn Malik talks moving on from One Direction – “I’m free at last”

Other winners include Olly Murs and Florence Welch, who won Best Male and Best Female respectively, while the resurgent Lionel Richie won the main prize of the evening, the Silver Clef Award.

British hitmaker Jess Glynne, who recently stormed Glastonbury Festival, was given the Best Newcomer Award, while old hand Craig David won the Innovation Award.

New York rock icon Patti Smith will receive the Outstanding Achievement prize, and Jeff Lynne of ELO will win the Icon Award. Andre Rieu wins the classical award, and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier scoops the International Award.

More: Niall Horan says there’s “a story” behind Cheryl and Liam Payne’s romance