Sir Paul and Bowie for Mojo prize

David Bowie and Sir Paul McCartney

The list was set up to honour elder artists often overlooked for awards. 'This is about music that's built to last and that has provided us with the soundtrack to our lives,' said Mojo editor-in-chief Phil Alexander.

The shortlist for the Mojo icon award, voted for by the listeners of Mojo Radio, features David Bowie, Kate Bush, Marvin Gaye, Morrissey and Prince.

The Mojo inspiration award category, which organisers say reflects artists who have influenced others, includes Joe Strummer, Arthur Lee, The Smiths, David Bowie and Johnny Cash. Nominees for the Mojo songwriting award are Sir Paul McCartney, Ray Davies from The Kinks, Paul Weller, Elvis Costello and the late Nick Drake. More artists will be chosen to enter the Mojo Hall of Fame during the day.

'It's absolutely appropriate, that the inaugural Mojo Honours List comes on the 50th anniversary of the birth of rock 'n' roll,' Alexander said, a reference to the 1954 release of Elvis Presley's That's Alright Mama.