The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Wolf Alice claim 2018 Mercury Music Prize
London four-piece win crown for sophomore album Visions of Life
London band Wolf Alice won the 2018 Hyundai Mercury Music Prize last night for their album Visions of Life.
The four-piece indie-rock group won the prize – which is now in its 27th year – ahead of famous names including Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Florence and the Machine and Lily Allen.
They were the last of 10 nominated acts to perform at the awards ceremony at the Hammersmith Apollo hosted by Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac.
The group appeared stunned when judge and DJ Clara Amfo announced they had won the £25,000 prize.
Singer Ellie Rowsell said: “Thank you so much It means so much to make this album with my three best friends”.
Bassist Theo Ellis said: “When we first started as a band, we walked into a meeting and a geezer said ‘You don’t look like a band at all’.
“He also said he didn’t want to work with women who wore make-up.
“I can’t believe it, big up everyone who was nominated, this means the world, thank-you so much. Has anyone got a Jagerbomb?”
Visions of Life is the band’s second album.
Before the ceremony Noel Gallagher, formerly of Oasis, said he did not expect to win.
He said: “Award ceremonies are great. Being nominated for this that and the other is fantastic.
“You don’t want to do them down because they do mean something.
“But if I don’t win, and I probably won’t, the album is still a great album because I say it is. And that’s it.
“When I come out of the studio with the finished thing for you lot to listen to, I think it’s amazing.
“Nothing will change that. The fact that I haven’t been nominated for 30 years doesn’t mean I haven’t loved every record that I have made.”
South Tyneside singer-songwriter Shah’s Holiday Destination had been the bookmaker’s favourite to win with The Ooz by King Krule and Arctic Monkeys also hotly-tipped.
The Sheffield rock band, fronted by principal songwriter Alex Turner, picked up the prize in 2006 for their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.
The Mercury Prize was first given out in 1992 to Primal Scream for Screamadelica and last year’s winner was Process by singer and record producer Sampha.