Sussex officially has the best live music venue and the best independent record shop in the country.

Brighton’s Concorde 2 club and Resident Music shop scooped prizes at the Music Week Awards.

The gongs, decided by a panel of industry figures, were awarded at a ceremony at the Roundhouse in London.

Concorde 2, in Madeira Drive, beat the Royal Albert Hall to the title of best live music venue in the country.

Owner Russell Haynes had planned to fly in from Alicante for the ceremony – but was delayed by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.

He learned about the venue’s David and Goliath victory by phone.

The 540-capacity venue beat the Royal Albert Hall in London, the O2 Academy in Leeds, the LG Arena in Birmingham and The Cheese and Grain in Frome, Somerset.

Concorde 2 is also shortlisted for the NME’s Best Small Venue award. To vote, visit www.nme.com/smallvenues.

Resident Music was named best independent music retailer.

The shop, in Kensington Gardens, has been open seven years and this year was voted the best independent record store in England by the public.