Rebecca Hubbard
Posted: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 9:58 am

London-based three-piece band The xx won this year's Mercury Prize last night for their debut album xx.

The winning record was released by the band, who formed in 2005, in August last year.

In winning the £20,000 prize, the trio beat competiton from 11 other shortlisted acts including Dizzee Rascal, Biffy Clyro and favourite Paul Weller.

Oliver Sim, frontman, said: "I don't know what we were expecting but we weren't expecting this.

"Thank you so much. We've had the most incredible year and it has just felt like every day we've just woken up to something incredible we just weren't expecting.

"It has felt just like a haze. Being here is like a moment of clarity in all that's happening."

Favourite Paul Weller revealed that he thought fellow nominees Wild Beasts or Laura Marling would win because "they performed so incredibly."

The only female in the band, Romy Croft, suggested a new studio could be the first thing the prize money could be spent on, as they made the winning record "in a converted garage the size of a bathroom".