Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2010

The Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2010

The Mercury Prize is always a source of conversation among music lovers. The judging criteria has often gained more publicity than the artists who have won the coveted award itself, yet the reason this prize is so talked about and so hotly debated is because of its celebration of music from all sides of the spectrum. Tonight pundits predictions were proven right as The xx picked up the award for their stripped back debut.

The husky voiced trio, who performed stand out song Night Time before the announcement, fought off competition from fellow favourites Paul Weller and Biffy Clyro to scoop the £20,000. Their sparse, yet atmospherically brooding brand of melancholy was enough to win over the judges. The self produced, gold selling album, released in August 2009, has been steadily gaining public attention with Crystalised, Islands, and VCR gathering the momentum.

The night began with Paul Weller performing a stomping rendition of Wake Up The Nation before The XX contrasted on the opposite stage. Next Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro played The Captain, while Wild Beasts countered the gruff tones with the falsetto vocals of Tom Fleming during Hooting & Howling from Two Dancers, their second album in as many years. Villagers, also known as Conor O'Brien hypnotised the crowd as he gripped their focus from start to finish with title track, Becoming a Jackal. From the stripped back acoustic number Foals stunned the crowd with the epically building Spanish Sahara. Kit Downes Trio then Jazzed things up with Jump Minzi Jump.

Mumford & Sons turned things bluegrass with The Cave from their debut Sigh No More. Manchester's I Am Kloot played Northern Skies from their fifth studio album, the Guy Garvey produced Sky At Night. Laura Marling gave the audience a piercing glare while she confidently gave title track I Speak Because I Can an airing, giving an altogether more self-assured message from her previously Mercury nominated Alas I Cannot Swim and Corinne Bailey Rae wowed the crowd with I'd Do It All Again from tumultuous album, The Sea.

So this year the unconventional element was that the favourites to win actually pulled it off and were humbled to win the 2010 award. On Stage Jamie Smith admitted "Just being here has been a weird moment of clarity." The future is theirs for the taking as this evening's events will put even more emphasis on their acclaimed debut.

6:56 AM | 08/09/2010

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