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Klaxons Beat Winehouse to Win Coveted Mercury Prize
- Posted on Sep 5th 2007 9:30AM by Jessica Robertson
Dance-infused rockers the Klaxons won the much coveted 16th Mercury Music Prize -- an annual awared bestowed upon the "best U.K. album of last year" -- in London Monday night, with their latest album, 'Myths of the Near Future.' The band beat out a dozen of Britain's most buzzed-about acts, including last year's winner, Arctic Monkeys, and highly favored throwback-soul queen Amy Winehouse, to win the honor."A year ago we were in the studio making this album and we were in the studio watching Arctic Monkeys win this," Klaxons keyboardist James Righton said. "We saw that and thought we have to make a new album."
"Mercury is about pushing music forward and that's what we've done," chimed singer-bassist Jamie Reynolds. "It's great that people have recognized."
Meanwhile, the embattled Winehouse, who recently cancelled her U.S. fall tour following a drug overdose and subsequent stint in rehab, made a surprise appearance at the ceremony, performing an acoustic rendition of 'Love Is a Losing Game,' off her Mercury-nominated, platinum-selling album, 'Back to Black.' Winehouse was short on words, offering up a simple "Thank you," before exiting the stage and joining a table with her family.
Watch Winehouse's performance after the jump.
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Congratulations are in order to London based Klaxons for winning last nights prestigous Nationwide Mercury Music Prize I think.
I am pleasantly surprised with news of the Klaxon’s victory. Singer and bass player Jamie Reynolds made perfect sense when reflecting on the judges decision,
"I think [the Mercury judges] have rewarded forward thinking music," Asked about winning over Winehouse, the band grumbled about having to answer questions about her all day. "She is fantastic, but her record is a retro record, and we have made the most forward thinking record since I don't know how long," Reynolds said.
If its true the award is to honour forward thinking music then Klaxons had it in the bag all along…its just the criteria for winners seems to change every year. Previous winners Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand could hardly be described as forward thinking but their winning credentials could not be doubted.
Year after year the awards are marred with controversy - I think the board at Mercury need to clean up once and for all what the awards are supposed to reward…that way the awards might make a little bit more sense.
What do you think?
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