Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has been awarded a CBE for services to music in the New Year Honours list.

The skilled percussionist featured on every album produced by the progressive rock group since he co-founded the band in 1965. Together with his bandmates, including David Gilmour and Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Mason helped forge a new and commercially popular experimentalism in rock music.

Mason, 74, has been made a CBE in recognition of his services to music throughout decades in the industry.

He began drumming in bands alongside fellow Regent Street Polytechnic student Waters in the early 1960s, before they teamed up with keyboard player Richard Wright and frontman Syd Barret. From their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Pink Floyd gathered an adoring audience and achieved major commercial success.

Mason was influenced by jazz music, which helped him provide the distinctive percussive elements to the band’s concept albums. He also had a hand in lyrics and co-wrote several songs, including Echoes. He still tours with his newly-formed band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, and has indulged his passion for motor racing and Ferraris between touring commitments throughout his career.

On December 13, The Pretty Things played their farewell concert at London’s O2 arena. The British psychedelic-pop act was joined by David Gilmour and Van Morrison during their three-set career-spanning night that touched on all eras of their diverse catalog.

The former Pink Floyd guitarist first emerged during the second set of the evening to play on a string of songs from The Pretty Things’ 1968 concept album S.F. Sorrow.

Gilmour assisted on five songs that included takes on “She Says Good Morning,” “Baron Saturday” and “Cries From the Midnight Circus.”

Morrison was welcomed during the third set, as he fronted the band on a handful of blues classics. The Northern Irish singer-songwriter delivered takes on the oft-covered standard “Baby, Please Don’t Go” along with Bo Diddley’s “I Can Tell” and “You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover.”

Gilmour then returned for the final two songs of the set, sitting in on “L.S.D.” and “Old Man Going.”

Both legendary musicians helped close out the night taking the stage during the mid-point of the three-song encore. The augmented ensemble offered up a take on one more Bo Diddley number serving up “Road Runner,” a song The Pretty Things recorded for their 1965 self-titled debut with Morrison once again singing lead.