English post-punk band English Teacher won the UK’s prestigious Mercury Prize on Thursday for their debut album “This Could Be Texas” in a ceremony at London’s legendary Abbey Road studios. The jury said in its citation that the album by the group from the northern city of Leeds “reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic”.

The band pipped favourite Charli XCX, whose single Brat was a summer hit in Britain, to the prize. But the jury said that English Teacher’s album stood out “for its originality and character”. “A winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation, alongside a subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly, displays a fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format.”

The four band members -- singer Lily Fontaine, Lewis Whiting, Douglas Frost and Nicholas Eden -- looked stunned when collecting their award, and a £25,000 ($33,000) first prize, on the stage at the live ceremony broadcast on the BBC. They “didn’t really plan this far” ahead, said one. “We just thought we’d make a band,” said Fontaine in disbelief. “What do we do now?”

Despite its success, the band remains relatively unknown to the British public. They met at Leeds Conservatory and formed in 2020, releasing their first successful single, “R&B”, in 2021. The contenders for the Mercury Prize were dominated by women, who made up eight of the 12.

Those included Portishead singer Beth Gibbons, with her first solo album “Lives Outgrown” and former Grammy Award winner and soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae with “Black Rainbows”.

Providing a mix of established acts and young talents, the Mercury Prize contenders this year included eight artists nominated for their debut album.Last year, Londoners Ezra Collective were the first jazz band to win the Mercury Prize with “Where I meant to be”.

With their afrobeat influence, they are due to release a new album and have sold out Wembley Arena for a gig in November. The Mercury Prize was created in 1992 to rival the Brit Awards, which take place in March, and recognises the best British or Irish album of the year. Previous winners include PJ Harvey and the Arctic Monkeys.—AFP