PJ Harvey Wins Barclaycard Mercury Prize

PJ Harvey has won the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

The singer last night (6th September) became the award’s first two-time winner with her album ‘Let England Shake’. Harvey accepted the award and £20,000 cash prize, saying:

“First of all I’d like to say thank you very much for this award, and the recognition of my work on this album,” she said.

“It’s nice to actually be here. I was in Washington DC watching The Pentagon burning from my hotel window, so it’s good to be here. So much has happened since then. This album took me a long time write. It was very important to me, I wanted to make something that was meaningful not just for myself but for other people, hopefully to make something that would last.”

Harvey went on to thank “the people that have supported her throughout her career,” her manager, her record company Island, agents and “those who helped me make ‘Let England Shake’”.

The full list of nominees:

Anna Calvi – ‘Anna Calvi’
Elbow – ‘Build A Rocket Boys!’
James Blake – ‘James Blake’
Katy B – ‘On A Mission’
Metronomy – ‘The English Riviera’
Tinie Tempah – ‘Disc-Overy’
PJ Harvey – ‘Let England Shake’
Gwilym Simcock – ‘Good Days At Schloss Elmau’
Everything Everything – ‘Man Alive’
Ghostpoet – ‘Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam’
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – ‘Diamond Mine’
Adele – ’21′