Alt-J wins Mercury Prize for best U.K. album

Kevin Bronson on
1

Alt-J won the Mercury Prize today for their debut album “An Awesome Wave.”

The Leeds quartet, fan favorites to win the annual award for the best album from the U.K. and Ireland, bested a field that included Django Django (my favorite, for what that’s worth), Field Music, Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard, Jessie Ware, Lianne La Havas, Plan B and the Maccabees. They won £20,000. Past Mercury honors have been bestowed upon PJ Harvey (twice), Portishead, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, and The xx.

||| Live: Alt-J plays the Fonda Theatre on Dec. 12.

Photo of Alt-J at the Echo in August by Carl Pocket