The 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize was won by indie trio, The xx, last night in London.
Press Association reports that the band from south London won the prize ahead of 11 over shortlisted acts including Paul Weller and Dizzee Rascal. The award is presented for the best album of the past 12 months and is worth £20,000.
Collecting the prize from Jools Holland band member Oliver Simm said "I don't know what we were expecting but we weren't expecting this." He added "We've had the most incredible year and it's just felt like every day we've woken up to something incredible we weren't expecting."
Their album, xx, was described by head judge Simon Frith as "a record of its time" saying "It's a very urban record, it is part of that urban soundscape when no-one has any idea what is going to happen next."
Asked what he would spend the prize money on, Sim said: "Haven't a clue." But bandmate Romy Croft suggested a new studio could be on the cards. She said: "We made this album in a converted garage the size of a bathroom."
