TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS~**FOR USE OF BARCLAYCARD MERCURY PRIZE WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT AND SPEECH MUST CREDIT 'COURTESY OF CHANNEL 4' WITH NO ARCHIVE, NO WIRELESS, NO RESALE AND CAN ONLY BE USED IN A PACKAGE ON THE EVENT.~**

British indie band Alt-J scooped the coveted Barclaycard Mercury Prize, with their debut album 'An Awesome Wave'

Despite being the bookies' favourite to win - the quartet who met at Leeds University in 2007 - seemed pretty stunned.

(SOUNDBITE) Alt-J, band, saying (English):

"We're bowled over beyond belief " "Surprised." "Surprised." "Basically adrenaline is running through all of our veins."

They beat off competition from 11 other nominees including more established acts such as Plan B and Richard Hawley.

(SOUNDBITE) Richard Hawley, singer, saying (English):

"The reason I like the Mercury Prize is very simply because it celebrates the album. We live in a time where the way we engage with music has changed so rapidly in such a short space of time that our only engagement really with it is space bar to start it space bar to stop and that's a very strange thing."

Now in its 20th year the Mercury Prize goes to the best album from the UK and Ireland.

Judged by a panel of industry experts it's highly regarded and all shortlisted acts tend to benefit, as Django Django discovered:

(SOUNDBITE) Django Django, band, saying (English):

"Yeah we went to America a few days after we got nominated and I hadn't really realised how far a reach the Mercury's has but like the first question from all the American journalists was 'how do you feel about the Mercury's?'"

Alt-J can expect a huge sales boost - and if their plans to celebrate came off possibly a large hangover!

(SOUNDBITE) Alt-J, band, saying (English):

"I am going to stay out and I am going to carry this as long as I can." "We might lose that." "It's a possibility."