Awards: See if you can spot the icon in this picture...

Robbie Williams is delighted to be pictured with international superstar Mo Farah (PA)

Now in its 15th year, The GQ Men of the Year Awards has a reputation for celebrating the sartorially sharp, the sportingly superb and the straightforwardly superhuman.

But while the black-tie dinner event at the Royal Opera House featured a familiar roll call of gong-givers and receivers, Mo Farah's appearance to present Robbie Williams with an "icon" award managed to confound even the smartest in the room.

The best actor gong rewarded Michael Fassbender's remarkably rise. The comedian of the year was Sacha Baron Cohen, a refreshing change from the stand-up DVD merchants. Best TV Personality? Damian Lewis, whose war drama Homeland has become required viewing.

And unlike at some magazine awards, it was even easy to surf the often confusing distinction between such gong titles as "inspiration" and "legend" (Sir Salman Rushdie and Sir Tom Jones, respectively) by dint of their unquestionably important careers.

Team GB's Olympians did win "Team of the Year", but many felt Farah, a double Olympic gold medallist from humble beginnings, has even in his short career become more of an "icon" than Williams ever will be.

One can only presume that there was some sort of mix-up on stage and Farah was too polite to mention it.