Rockers celebrate Kerrang! Awards with 'best birthday party ever'

Three generations of rockers were honoured at the Kerrang! Awards as the magazine hosted the "best birthday party ever" to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Fresh from headlining Wembley Arena last week, alt-rock band Deftones won the lifetime achievement award acknowledging their "consistent evolution" over the past 20 years since their debut album Adrenaline in 1995.

American rock band blink-182 showed off new vocalist Matt Skiba ahead of the release of their seventh album California in July as he and Mark Hoppus delighted the crowd to pick up the icon award in person at the ceremony held at East London's Troxy on Thursday night.

Rock royalty Iron Maiden lost out to relative newcomers Asking Alexandria for best British band, but did not go home empty handed, earning themselves the coveted Kerrang! Legend award instead.

Irish institution Thin Lizzy, who have been together since 1969, were the veteran winners of the night as they picked up the Kerrang! Hero award.

But experience did not beat out youth in every category.

Guns 'N' Roses Las Vegas Reunion Shows and masked metal band Slipknot's Alexandra Palace gigs were beaten in the best event category by Surrey rockers You Me At Six's benefit show for band The Ghost Inside.

The five-piece hosted a fundraising night at Camden's Underworld for The Ghost Inside after they were involved in a horrific bus crash in November 2015 in which their driver died and drummer Andrew Tkaczyk lost his right leg.

Metal legends Metallica lost out to Floridian rockers A Day To Remember for the best international band gong.

Fellow nominees All Time Low did not go home disappointed, bagging best track for single Missing You.

No Devotion, formed in 2014 from the remaining members of Welsh band Lostprophets after the imprisonment of former frontman Ian Watkins on child sex offences, and now fronted by American singer Geoff Rickly, took home best album for their debut Permanence.

Japanese teenage trio BABYMETAL, all girls aged 16- to 18-years-old, triumphed as best live band, stealing the crown from nominees including Black Veil Brides and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.

Carter licked his wounds with the spirit of punk trophy.

Southampton horror punks Creeper represented the best of home-grown talent as best British newcomer, while New Orleans nu-metal outfit Cane Hill won the hotly-contested best international newcomer.

Hosted by The Darkness' Justin Hawkins and Skindred's Benji Webbe, Kerrang! editor James McMahon said the ceremony proved the 35-year-old magazine was "as fit and lithe as it's ever been".

He said: "This night was, from start to finish, one of those nights that sear themselves into your memory - where fans, bands, mag, friends old and new, became one mass of love for a style of music a group of people were so obsessed with 35 years ago they started a magazine, just because one didn't exist to cover it.

"By fans, for fans. Thirty five years young. Tonight was the best birthday party ever."

It was the first time the awards are followed by a gig, where Asking Alexandria and A Day To Remember performed.