The Klaxons last night won this year's Mercury Prize for their debut album, Myths of the Near Future. A three-piece band who come from south east London, the Klaxons have only been together for two years.
Irish singer-songwriter Fionn Regan, from Bray, was among the 12 nominees for the prestigious British music award. Regan has received much critical acclaim for his debut album, The End of History. The Wicklow native played at last night's televised ceremony having appeared on the bill at the Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois, last Saturday.
Household names Amy Winehouse and last year's winners the Arctic Monkeys were also among the nominees for the £20,000 prize.
Winehouse ended her run of no-shows when she turned up at the event, held in a central London hotel, last night. The troubled singer (23) was nominated for her second album, Back to Black.
Whitehouse's drug taking, with husband Blake Fielder-Civil, had threatened to overshadow her talents in recent weeks and fans have been left disappointed by a string of gig cancellations.
She has sparked huge concern over her appearance, just as her career appeared to be stronger than ever. The furore over her drug taking is said to have put her record contract on the line.
Winehouse arrived back in the UK yesterday following a break in a five-star resort in St Lucia in the Caribbean with her husband.
Last month, she was admitted to a London hospital following an overdose. The star, whose hit songs include Rehab, was said to have come close to death after taking cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and marijuana. The singer then quit rehab for a second time to the dismay of her parents. - ( PA )