September 5, 2006 22:15

Arctic Monkeys win 2006 Mercury Music Prize

Their debut scoops album of the year award

Photo Gallery: Arctic Monkeys
Photo: Dean Chalkley

Arctic Monkeys’ debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' has won this year's Nationwide Mercury Music Prize at a ceremony in London tonight (September 5).

The three original band members - Alex Turner, Jamie Cook and Matt Helders - picked up the £20,000 prize from presenter Jools Holland at the bash at the Grosvenor House hotel.

Reacting to their win, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner exclaimed: "Somebody call 999, Richard Hawley's been robbed!" in reference to the also-nominated singer-songewriter who also hails from the band's native Yorkshire city of Sheffield.

Turner added: "Thanks to everyone that's helped us. Normally it (the award) doesn't go to a band that's sold so many records, to put it bluntly, but we're pleased. They're good tunes, that's what we do and there aren't any tricks, people are trying to do too many tricks."

This year’s full nominations were:

Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - 'Ballad Of The Broken Seas'
Editors - 'The Back Room'
Guillemots - 'Through The Windowpane'
Richard Hawley - 'Coles Corner'
Hot Chip - 'The Warning'
Muse - 'Black Holes & Revelations'
Zoe Rahman - 'Melting Pot'
Lou Rhodes - 'Beloved One'
Scritti Politti - 'White Bread Black Beer'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'
Thom Yorke - 'The Eraser'

Last year's prize was won by Antony & The Johnsons for the album 'I Am A Bird Now'.