Klaxons scoop Mercury album prize

• 5th Sep 2007

Nu-Rave Philanthropists Klaxons have won the Mercury Music Prize, beating out bookies' favourites Bat for Lashes and Human Train wreck Amy Winehouse, following in the footsteps of Portishead, PJ Harvey and the Arctic Monkeys.

The Klaxons said they were “very happy” to win the £20,000 prize, beating Amy Winehouse and the Arctic Monkeys to the award.

Singer Jamie Reynolds said they deserved to beat Winehouse because she made a “retro record and we've made the most forward-thinking record”.
Winehouse performed at the ceremony, her first appearance for several weeks.

She gave a breathtaking rendition of Love Is A Losing Game from her nominated album Back To Black – but it was not enough to win her the award.

The nominees were:
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
New Young Pony Club – Playground
Dizee Rascal – Maths & English
Maps – We can Create
Bat for Lashes – Fur & Gold
Basquiat Strings – Basquiat Strings wirh Seb Rochford
Fionn Regan – The End of History
Jamie T – Panic Prevention
The Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Mens
The View – Hats off to the Buskers
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future

All the bands/artists were in attendance apart from the Arctic Monkeys who are currently embarking on a worldwide tour, including Amy Winehouse, to the amazement of critics everywhere.

All the nominated attendees played a song from their heralded albums, including:

The View – Superstar Tradesman
Maps – It will find you
Jamie T – Salvador
New Young Pony Club – The Bomb
The Young Knives – The Decision
Bat for Lashes – Horse and I
Fionn Regan – Be good or be gone
Dizzy Rascal – Flex
Amy Winehouse – Love is a Losing Game
Basquiat Strings – Double Dares
Klaxons – Golden Skans
The Artic Monkeys pre-recorded a performance of the song Teddy Picker