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Antony and Johnsons win Mercury

Chichester-born Antony Hegarty is now based in New York
Antony and the Johnsons have won this year's Mercury Music Prize for the album I Am A Bird Now.
Led by New York-based singer Anthony Hegarty, they beat acts including Coldplay, favourites Kaiser Chiefs and hip-hop artist MIA.

The £20,000 award is for the best album of the year by a British or Irish act.

It was voted for by a panel of industry experts, journalists and artists, and is said to reward originality and creativity rather than sales success.

"I think they must have made a mistake," Chichester-born Antony Hegarty said as he collected the award.

"I am completely overwhelmed. I think that's insane."

The pianist and torch singer has been compared to Lou Reed.

His winning album, I Am A Bird Now, features contributions from Boy George and Reed.

He performed live at the Mercury award ceremony in London's Grosvenor House Hotel, as did fellow nominees Kaiser Chiefs, KT Tunstall, Seth Lakeman, Bloc Party, Polar Bear, Maximo Park, The Magic Numbers and the Go! Team.

Multi-million selling band Coldplay, nominated for their third album X&Y, could not attend the ceremony as they were on tour in the US.

Previous winners of the Mercury prize include hip-hop artist Dizzee Rascal, Primal Scream, PJ Harvey and last year's victors Franz Ferdinand.

Mercury Music Prize 2005 nominees:


Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Coldplay - X&Y
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
MIA - Arular
Polar Bear - Held on the Tips of Fingers
Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay

Fantastic! I *love* this band and have done for a few months. Such a unique and heartbreaking voice.

Anthony comes across like a lovely guy and I was delighted he won.

I'm a bird now

Hope There's Someone

Hope there's someone
Who'll take care of me
When I die, will I go

Hope there's someone
Who'll set my heart free
Nice to hold when I'm tired

There's a ghost on the horizon
When I go to bed
How can I fall asleep at night
How will I rest my head

Oh I'm scared of the middle place
Between light and nowhere
I don't want to be the one
Left in there, left in there

There's a man on the horizon
Wish that I'd go to bed
If I fall to his feet tonight
Will allow rest my head

So here's hoping I will not drown
Or paralyze in light
And godsend I don't want to go
To the seal's watershed

Hope there's someone
Who'll take care of me
When I die, Will I go

Hope there's someone
Who'll set my heart free
Nice to hold when I'm tired

Can't say his music does anything for me The mercury prize is a poisoned chalice tho...eeryone who wins it disappears into obscurity ..so am glad KT Tunstall didnt win or The Kaiser Chiefs)