Ten years on from her last victory, P J Harvey has won Mercury Prize for 2011 with her album of earlier this year ‘Let England Shake.’ Inspired by the horrors of war, was the bookmakers’ favourite.
Harvey won in 2001, when the ceremony was held on 11 September, but was unable to accept the prize in person because she was on tour in the US.
Accepting the prize, in a seemingly low key ceremony, the musician said she wanted to make something that was “meaningful” and “would last”.
The 41-year-old, who was the first female Mercury winner in September 2001 with Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, said: “It’s really good to be here this evening, because when I last won 10 years ago I was in Washington DC watching the Pentagon burning from my hotel window.”
Corinne Bailey Rae, who was one of the judges, said the panel all agreed that Harvey should be crowned the winner.
“It was a tough decision, but were all in agreement.”
The singer explained it the lyrics made the record stand out because they were “really imaginative, almost cinematic”.
Are you happy that P J Harvey has won for a second time?How does it help her, apart from providing a boost to her album sales? Did they miss anyone out on the shortlist?! Should someone else have picked up the award? Whats the point of the Mercury music prize these days, when it increasingly seems to reward already established artists? When it was orginally set up as a prize that celebrated innovation, different music genres and underapreciated artists?
