
Nominees for this year's Mercury Music Prize have reacted with delight, modesty and confusion.
The favourites to take the prestigious award for British albums, both with odds of 4-1, are superstars Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse.
But other nominees include less recognised acts from arty three-piece Bat for Lashes to New Young Pony Club, who released their first record only last week.
Natasha Khan, lead singer for Bat for Lashes, whose Fur and Gold is up, preferred to focus on others' chances. She told BBC 6 Music: "I want the Klaxons to win because I think they're really sweet and they do good interesting visual stuff.
"And I really like Dizzee Rascal as well because I like having a bit of a dance. And there's some that I haven't heard of which I'd like to check out - Basquiat Strings sounds quite interesting."
Tahita Bulmer, who fronts New Young Pony Club, did not hide her pride at their selection: “We always believed we crafted an album that was something new and innovative.
"I think a lot of people haven’t yet realised that what a new sound, what we’ve done is. They are still trying to lump us in with the nu rave scene or whatever."
However, The View’s bassist Kieran Webster claimed he was unaquainted with the Mercury prize: "I’ve never really followed this prize before, or any other kind of awards. I’m grateful to be up for it, but it’s just that it’s all new to me."
And Henry Dartnall, from The Young Knives, appeared even more bemused: "I don’t know what the criteria for inclusion is. Isn’t it that you’re the best? Or in the group that are the best for that year. That’s what that is, isn’t it?"










