Longshots Young Fathers Win 2014 Mercury Prize

Going into last night’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize ceremony, these were the odds for each nominee on the Short List accourding to bookmaker William Hill.

FKA Twigs – ‘LP1’ (11/4)
Kate Tempest – ‘Everybody Down’ (3/1)
Royal Blood – ‘Royal Blood’ (5/1)
East India Youth – ‘Total Strife Forever’ (10/1)
Jungle – ‘Jungle’ (10/1)
Nick Mulvey – ‘First Mind’ (10/1)
Damon Albarn – ‘Everyday Robots’ (14/1)
Young Fathers – ‘Dead’ (14/1)
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’ (16/1)
Anna Calvi – ‘One Breath’ (16/1)
Polar Bear – ‘In Each And Every One’ (20/1)
GoGo Penguin – ‘v2.0’ (25/1)

And who ended up winning? Young Fathers, a Scottish hip hop group and their album, Dead.  They have the satisfaction knowing that a group of critics, musicians and industry people named it the best UK album of the year–plus they get a £20,000 cash prize.

Not familiar with Young Fathers? Until you’re into UK hip hop, that’s not a surprise. Get caught up with this Spotify playlist. As you listen, check out Mercury Prize coverage from The Guardian.