Arctic Monkeys Win Nationwide Mercury Prize


PRESS RELEASE

Arctic Monkeys have won the Nationwide Mercury Prize for the album

Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

The band were clearly very pleased to have won the Prize,

“Thanks very much, normally it doesn’t go to a band that’s sold as many as us, to put it bluntly! We’re surprised, honoured and very pleased with it, thanks ever so much.”

Lead singer Alex Turner quipped on stage “Someone call 999 – Richard Hawley’s been robbed!” a reference to the other Sheffield based act short-listed for the Prize. Going on to talk about their own album Turner said “Thanks to everyone who helped us with it. It’s good tunes - that’s all we’ve tried to do really, without too many tricks, cause there’s too many people doing too many tricks. ”

The Sheffield band’s album was released in January of this year and became the fastest selling UK debut of all time. The success came as a consequence of the four-piece band’s already burgeoning reputation, built through live shows and online, before they signed to Domino Records.

The judging panel praised Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not as “great songs astonishingly performed.”

A Nationwide Mercury Prize special is broadcast on BBC2 at 11:35pm on Friday, September 8 hosted by Jools Holland and Jo Whiley.

2007 Prize Nominations

Congratulations to Arctic Monkeys for unsurprisingly lifting this year’s prize. Whether we agree with the award or not is immaterial, and so all we can do is look forward to next year’s nominations. 2006 has been one of the best and most adventurous release years ever for UK and Irish acts - recording primarily on independent labels. From Ireland we would expect Glen Hansard, Fionn Regan, Humanzi, Rodrigo Y Gabriela and the Frames to be serious contenders. British prospects include Imogen Heap, Flipron, Sergeant Buzfuz, Archie Bronson Outfit, My Latest Novel, The Feeling, Lupen Crook, Devics and Crimea.