Despite being revamped for its 21st birthday, for a moment Sunday night, the Boston Music Awards felt decidedly old school – more 1988 than 2008. That instant came when New Kids on the Block – yes, those NKOTB – won the award for national act of the year. As two of the all-grown-up Kids, Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight, took the podium on the Roxy stage, the air around them seemed a little surreal.

“We haven’t had one of these in a long time,” cracked Wahlberg. Twenty years ago, he recalled, the Kids were nominated for a Grammy – and lost to Milli Vanilli. “We’d rather have this any day,” he said.