Snow Patrol honoured as first recipients of Official Charts Hall of Fame Award

Snow Patrol have been honoured with a new music award from the Official Charts Company.

The Official Charts Hall of Fame award celebrates 70 years of the Official Charts and recognises albums that have maintained chart longevity and dominance.

The presentation of the award to Snow Patrol coincides with the 20th anniversary of Eyes Open, which gave The Northern Irish band their first No.1. The album subsequently spent three weeks in the top spot, going on to become the UK's biggest album of 2006.

Speaking to Official Charts, "It's an album that still seems to live and breathe, and also change and shift," said Gary Lightbody, "The album is an artifact that'll never change, but the songs change, shift and evolve over time with the way we play them."

According to the Official Charts Company, the album has shifted more than 2.6 million units in the UK to date, including 2.4 million pure sales.

To pay homage to the 20th anniversary of the album, a special reissue of Eyes Open that will be released on July 24.

“As we mark 70 years of the Official Albums Chart, there could be no more fitting first inductees into the Official Charts Hall of Fame than Gary, Nathan and Johnny," said interim Co-Managing Directors at the Official Charts Company, "Eyes Open's influence, longevity and continued connection with fans make it a truly worthy recipient of this inaugural honour. Congratulations to the band and all involved.”

Watch the full interview with Snow Patrol and Official Charts as they chat about the inaugural Hall of Fame Award: