News
Elbow scoop Mercury music prize
Published 10.09.08
Manchester five-piece Elbow have picked up the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize for the best British album of the past year.
The award, for their fourth studio album The Seldom Seen Kid, comes 18 years after the band formed and seven years after their first Mercury nomination. Recorded in Elbow’s Salford studios, the album was released on Fiction Records in March.
On receiving the award an elated Guy Garvey said, “I know we're supposed to be cool but this is quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to us!" The singer dedicated the award to his friend, singer and songwriter Bryan Glancy, who died two years ago.
The band beat off competition from 11 nominees including joint-favourites Radiohead and Last Shadow Puppets, British Sea Power and little-known dubstep artist, Burial.
Elbow formed in 1990 when a teenage Guy Garvey met guitarist Mark Potter at a Bury college. Together with Mark’s brother Craig, bassist Pete Turner and drummer Richard Jupp they formed Mr Soft. In 1997 they changed their name to Elbow, signed to Island records and recorded their debut album, Asleep in the Back. However, due to a takeover by Universal, the album, for which they scored their first Mercury nomination, wasn’t released until 2001.
Previous winners include Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey and Dizzee Rascal.
Photo source: www.bbc.co.uk
