Elbow won the prestigious Nationwide Mercury Prize last night (09.09.08).
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The band’s album The Seldom Seen Kid beat off stiff competition from 11 acts including Radiohead, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and The Last Shadow Puppets.
Frontman Guy Garvey – who seemed to be shocked by the band’s triumph at the ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel – said the group will donate their £20,000 prize money to charity.
He added: “I know we’re supposed to be cool but this is quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to us.
“We love what we do but nearly everyone we’ve ever met works harder than we ever have.
“I suppose you could look at it in the same way that certain Bedouin tribes look at a bowl of milk. It’s something that doesn’t occur very often, and it’s so much sweeter for it.”
British TV presenter and musician Jools Holland announced the winner at the glitzy event, which featured performances from all the nominees except Burial, the anonymous rapper whose identity has been subject to much speculation prior to the ceremony.
The annual prize – which is open to any album recorded by a UK act in the last 12 months – is selected by industry experts and doesn’t take into account commercial success.
Other LPs nominated included Estelle’s Shine, 19 by Adele and Neon Neon’s Stainless Style.
Nationwide Mercury Prize 2008 nominees:
Adele – 19
British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial – Untrue
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle – Shine
Laura Marling – Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon – Stainless Style
Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep In The North Sea
Rachel Unthank and The Winterset – The Bairns
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age Of The Understatement
