2001. PJ Harvey, 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea'
Who was she? Polly Jean Harvey, alt-rock genius and the only person to win the prize twice. 'Stories From The City...' was her third Mercury nomination and was accepted via Washington on September 11 2001.
Was it an entirely outrageous choice? It's a brilliant album, and it's somewhat fitting that a record set in New York should win the Prize. But would it not have been somewhat more fitting for Radiohead to have picked up the prize for 'Kid A', a claustrophobic masterpiece that leant itself to fear culture in general? Another notable mention are Gorillaz, who pulled their nomination in fear of becoming the fifth act in a row to sink under the expectation of topping their debut.
What has she done since? Released three more records, evolving with each one and receiving critical acclaim as she goes. That's the only way to follow up a Mercury win: there's no standing still.