Rudimental duo get university honour for music contribution

Rudimental duo Kesi Dryden and Piers Agget have received honorary degrees from Leeds Metropolitan University.

"It was a bit of surprise. It's something you don't think of. It was lovely to get the email through though," said Agget.

Agget and Dryden formed Rudimental while studying creative music and sound technology in Leeds.

Later Amir Amor and DJ Locksmith joined the group completing the quartet.

"It's nice to be rewarded by someone else other then the music industry," added Agget.

The university presented its former students with Honorary Masters of Music degrees for their contribution to the arts.

"I had a friend who recently did a masters and he was upset that we were getting one.

"But then I said to him, if you see the hours we put in, it's probably more than you did for your masters," teased Dryden.

Rudimental have achieved huge levels of success over the last few years.

At this year's Brit Awards they won the prize for British single of the year for Waiting All Night featuring Ella Eyre.

The group also picked up the best album prize at the Mobo Awards.

Rudimental were also nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2013.

"Well I want to be knighted at some point but for now it's something really cool you can put that at the end of an email.

"You know under your telephone number. Now I can write Piers Agget BA Hons. sounds cool," joked Agget.

Rudimental's debut album, Home, was a UK number one and also spawned two top singles.

Work on the second album is under way.

"I have to say we seem to go from strength to strength. It's sounding amazing to us," said Dryden.

"We feel like it's the best music we've made to date. We can't wait to show it off to people out there."

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube