Established 32 years ago, the UK's Mercury Prize has a history of making unpredictable choices, so the winning album is rarely sewn up ahead of the event. While Charli XCX's ubiquitous Brat was seen as the frontrunner going into this evening's big reveal at London's famous Abbey Road Studios, it was Leeds band English Teacher who were handed the £25,000 prize money for their debut album This Could Be Texas.

As the BBC's Mark Savage points out, it's the first time in a decade that the winner has been an artist or group from outside of London. According to the BBC liveblog, judges said that This Could Be Texas “stood out for its originality and character” and “revealed new depths on each listen.”

Taking to the stage, the band gave a short speech of thanks – particularly to singer Lily Fontaine's mother, who made the album artwork – and said, "We just thought we'd make a band!"

There was no public audience at the slimmed-down event, but most of the nominees were in attendance at the livestreamed ceremony hosted by DJ, podcaster, and author Annie Mac alongside 6Music presenter Huw Stephens. Charli XCX was one of the artists missing, as she is currently in rehearsals for her upcoming US tour with Troye Sivan. Three members of The Last Dinner Party were also absent, with only Georgia Davies and Emily Roberts able to attend.

Albums released in the UK between 15 July 2023 and 12 July 2024 were eligible to be submitted for the Prize. This year's independent judging panel included a mix of musicians, songwriters, journalists, BBC bosses, broadcasters, and DJs, and was chaired by Jeff Smith, Head of Music at BBC Radio 2 and 6Music.

As a reminder, the 12 shortlisted albums were:

Barry Can't Swim – When Will We Land?
BERWYN – Who Am I
Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown
Cat Burns – early twenties
Charli XCX – Brat
CMAT – Crazymad, for Me
Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows
corto.alto – Bad with Names
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas
Ghetts – On Purpose, With Purpose
Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud
The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy

The Needle Drop may earn an affiliate commission via purchases on ticket links through this article.