The xx have won this year’s Mercury Prize for their self-titled debut album ‘xx’.

The band beat eleven other acts to take home the award at a ceremony in London tonight (September 7).

Singer Oliver Sim said the award felt like "a weird moment of clarity" as they gave their acceptance speech.

"We’ve had the most incredible year and it’s just felt like every day we’ve woken up to something incredible that we just weren’t expecting," he said.

"It’s felt a bit like a haze."

The trio’s debut album had been hotly tipped for the award ahead of the ceremony.

Released in August 2009, it was described by Gigwise as “an unravelling conversation of prolonged melancholic optimism”.

The Mercury Prize recognises the best album of the last twelve months from a British or Irish act. The winner also receives a £20,000 prize.

Paul Weller, Wild Beasts, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Corinne Bailey Rae and Dizzee Rascal were among the other nominees this year. Relative outsiders ahead of the ceremony included Laura Marling, I Am Kloot and Kits Downes Trio.

The awards ceremony took place at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.

Previous winners of the award have included Primal Scream, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow and Klaxons.

(by Jason Gregory)