They don't give a Monkeys

THERE'S often been talk of it putting a curse of winners.

But the Nationwide Mercury Prize didn't do Arctic Monkeys or runner up Richard Hawley any harm. That said, it didn't do the former, who bagged the coveted award last year, much good this time around.

They were nominated for second album Favourite Worst Nightmare, initially joint favourites to win weeks before Klaxons won with their Myths Of The Near Future.

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The reaction was a near five-fold increase in sales of that at HMV in the 24 hours afterwards, the album having been out of the top 60 chart in recent weeks. The halo effect even boosted sales of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black by 53 per cent but the Arctics felt the least benefit with FWN seeing just a six per cent rise in sales.