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Mercury rising for Arctic Monkeys
THE all-conquering Arctic Monkeys have won British music's most prestigious accolade to cap a fairytale year.
As they landed the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, the north Sheffield quartet immediately paid tribute to fellow city star Richard Hawley by declaring he had been "robbed".
Speaking moments after picking up the trophy and a cheque for 20,000, singer Alex Turner told millions on live TV of his gratitude to Andy Nicholson, the bass player who parted company with the band during the summer.
Clearly still dazzled by the latest accolade for their record-breaking album Whatever They Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the vocalist of Britain's fastest-selling debut of all time, said: "I am very surprised, but very pleased, like."
Collecting the winning award from host Jools Holland the singer declared: "Someone call 999, Richard Hawley's been robbed."
The Greystones father-of-three was just behind the Arctics as the bookies' favourite to land the Mercury with his critically acclaimed album Coles Corner. He performed the title track live at the ceremony, inside London's Dorchester Hotel.
Arctics drummer Matt Helders declared the event "a bit more respectable than most things we get invited to" before guitarist Jamie Cook confirmed he was "off to get hammered".
In a year which has seen the lads, all in their 20s, tour the world twice and pick up Brit Awards as well as storm to number one in several countries with their album and singles, the Arctics have become a household name liked by teens to grannies.
But lead singer Alex told the Mercury audience, simply: "Good tunes...that's what we tried to do. No tricks. There are too many people trying to do too many tricks."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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