The xx were announced last night, Tuesday, 7 September as the winners of the 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. The announcement was made by musician and broadcaster Jools Holland at the Awards Show at London’s Grosvenor House.
Simon Frith, Chair of Judges commented, “The xx have a unique sense of time and space – urban and enigmatic. The result is a wonderfully atmospheric album – sparse, urgent, hypnotic and powerful”.
The Prize recognises and celebrates music in the UK and has a reputation for highlighting a wide range of bands and artists. Albums released between July 2009 and July 2010 were eligible for this year’s Prize.
The shortlist of 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ is chosen by an independent judging panel, which includes musicians, producers, presenters and music journalists. The panel’s decision is based solely on the music on the albums and all genres of music are treated equally.
