The XX Win Mercury Prize 2010!

They only hit the music scene with their self-titled debut album a year ago, but tonight, The xx beat off stiff competition to win the coveted Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2010.


The three-piece group from south London looked shocked as host Jools Holland announced that they were the winners, pipping music heavyweights such as Paul Weller, Dizzee Rascal and Biffy Clyro to the post.
To rapturous applause, they accepted the gong and a cheque for £20,000 from the pianist and appeared to struggle to take it all in.



Singer and bass player Oliver Sim told the audience at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London that they weren't expecting to win.
He said: 'Wow. Thank you so much. We've had the most incredible year and it has just felt like every day we've just woken up to something incredible we just weren't expecting.
'It has felt just like a haze. Being here is like a moment of clarity in all that's happening.'

Speaking to presenter Lauren Laverne after the show, Sim added: 'We weren't expecting this that's for sure.
'We've followed this award for a very long time and to just be part of it was incredible but to have this is something else.'
And they added that they would be celebrating with a huge party for family and friends after the show.

The band beat off competition from 11 other shortlisted acts including bookies' favourite Paul Weller and past winner Dizzee Rascal.
And their win tonight could bring a huge boost in sales, just like it did for the 2008 winner's Elbow, who saw their album sales increase by 700% that year.



The award - fully called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize - is designed to reward the best album of the past 12 months and is worth £20,000.
The xx is composed of three childhood friends who met as pupils of south London's Elliott School, which has a knack for turning out Mercury nominees.

These have included Hot Chip and Burial in recent years, as well as a member of Basquiat Strings.
The band found themselves the subject of widespread interest when the BBC chose their track Intro as the soundtrack to the General Election camapign.


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