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Updated Thursday, September 9, 2010 9:43 pm TWN, By Venetia Rainey, Reuters

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The xx win UK Mercury music prize for debut set

There was talk at the awards of a win by Mumford & Sons with their album “Sigh No More.”

This would have been in keeping with the Mercury's inclination to give the prestigious award to little known nominees. In the end, however, the xx, who have been sweeping the festival scene this summer, received the accolade.

“We made this album in a converted garage the size of a bathroom,” Croft said. “So we would love to make our own studio and experiment and let Jamie (Smith) produce.”

Weller, former singer for mod-band The Jam, had ousted newcomers The xx as the favourite to win the Prize earlier this week. Over the weekend bookmaker William Hill decided to slash its odds of Weller winning from 20-1 to 1-10 due to an unprecedented flurry of betting activity.

Weller has not been nominated for the Mercury since 1994, when his album “Wild Wood” was shortlisted, but failed to take the award.

Last year's winner was hip-hop star Speech Debelle with her debut release “Speech Therapy.” Other former winners include Dizzee Rascal, the Klaxons, and Badly Drawn Boy.

The Mercury Prize, Awards which are open to any UK or Irish artist who has released an album during the past year, were presented by radio DJ Lauren Laverne and hosted by musician and television presenter Jools Holland.

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