2011. PJ Harvey, 'Let England Shake'
Who was she? The 9/11 winner got a proper chance to enjoy a Mercury victory with war-influenced eighth album 'Let England Shake'. Maybe the most accomplished record of the list, the album was awarded full marks by the NME, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.
Was it an entirely outrageous choice? It was fantastic musically and it delved deep into questions surrounding British politics: it's the kind of record this prize was invented for, some would say it would've been outrageous not to award it to her. Adele's '21' was big-selling but drab to high heaven, Elbow's 'Build A Rocket Boys!' wasn't a patch on 'The Seldom Seen Kid' and Metronomy's 'The English Riviera' deserved to be recognised, but wasn't much more than pretty pop. James Blake's self-titled debut was the only real competition to Harvey, but another debut album and another electronica record would've been a bit too predictable.
What has she done since? Harvey's been recording for film and theatre of late, but in August, she released a single entitled 'Shaker Aamer', named after the last British citizen held in Guantanamo Bay. When a new record arises, she'll surely be a favourite for the Mercury Prize again.