The Klaxons wins UK Mercury Prize
The Klaxons, a dance punk group was awarded the U.K.’s Nationwide Mercury Prize (Sept. 4) in London for their debut album, “Myths of the Near Future”, beating out records by 11 others, including troubled diva Amy Winehouse and British pop powerhouse Arctic Monkeys.
The Klaxons were awarded the prestigious $40,000 Nationwide Mercury Prize by a panel of judges who called their sound an “ecstatic musical adventure.”
The members of the Klaxons were clearly exhausted after their victory, with James Righton admitting later that he shed some tears on the podium. When asked how it felt beating out Winehouse, group members Jamie Reynolds — who was nursing a broken leg and ankle after diving off a stage in France — later told the press, “Her record is a retro record, ours is the most forward thinking record of the year. We are moving forward.”
With 4/1 odds, Winehouse and last year’s winners Arctic Monkeys had been favored to win by William Hill bookmakers when the shortlist was announced July 17. But in the days leading up to the ceremony, Bat For Lashes “Fur and Gold” (Echo/EMI) jostled into position as bookies favorite while Winehouse — whose recent tour cancellations and “health issues” — saw her odds slip.
Judges of the prize, which has honored the best album of the year by a British or Irish band since 1992, have a reputation for overlooking populist choices in favor of obscure artists. The honor is awarded on the basis of innovation, rather than commercial sales.
Retro-soul singer Winehouse, whose success has been overshadowed by concerns over her well-being, was also in the running, and ended a run of cancelations by appearing at the ceremony.
The star drew a round of applause as she stepped to the stage to perform her new track, “Love Is a Losing Game.”