- Music
- 06 Sep 06
The winner of the coveted Mercury Music Prize was revealed at a lavish ceremony last night - and it's the Arctic Monkeys.
The Sheffield-based band dended off competition from the likes of Thom Yorke and Muse to win the £20,000 (€29,500) prize - and the inevitable increase in sales that goes with it.
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was released in February and became the fastest selling debut in UK history, shifting 360,000 units in its first week.
The award comes as something a surprise, as the Mercury Music Prize is known for rejecting commercially-successful bands in favour of more obscure acts.
Last year, Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Hard-Fi and The Magic Numbers lost out to the little-known Anthony & The Johnsons. Following the win, HMV in Grafton Street reported a 250% rise in sales for the album, I Am A Bird Now.