Arctic Monkeys "flattered" by prize

The Arctic Monkeys have spoken out about their Mercury Prize victory on Tuesday night, revealing they were "flattered" by the award.

The band also reaffirmed their intention to donate the £20,000 prize to charity, with the support of their former bassist, Andy Nicholson.

The Monkeys released the following statement: “We had a fantastic night and we’re really chuffed with winning the award. It was unexpected but it means a lot to us as the competition was from other musicians we really respect. We strongly believe in the ethos of the Nationwide Mercury Prize in that it is about the music and not everything else that goes with it and are therefore really flattered by the decision.

“Regarding the £20,000 cheque, we are going to donate it to a worthy charity which we would prefer to keep private. We have discussed it with Andy who played an equal part in the making of the album and he is happy with our choice."