Begley’s award was presented by BBC broadcaster Hugo Duncan, a longtime friend of the musician.

When Begley went on to perform Blanket on the Ground she invited CMAT, who had made a surprise appearance at the ceremony, to join her on stage.

At a concert in Belfast earlier this year, CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, gave a shout-out to Begley, thanking the country legend.

Reacting to the shout-out in October, Begley told the Good Morning Ulster programme that she had never met her but had “heard so much about her”.

“It’s hard to beat the new generation, it’s great to see them all doing well.”

Begley added that she was “over the moon” to win the award.

“I’m lost for words,” she said.

Begley said she did not know what reaction to expect at the awards ceremony, but that she was “looking forward to it”.

Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Oh Yeah Music Centre, who were the organisers of the NI Music Prize, said that seeing Begley and CMAT together “was something really special”.

“We’ve had some incredible moments at the NI Music Prize over the years, but I don’t think we’ve ever experienced an atmosphere quite like that,” she said.