On the 10th anniversary of her first win, British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey has beat out Adele to take home the 2011 Mercury Prize in the U.K., making her the first artist to receive the honor twice, reports HitFix.
Harvey’s Let England Shake was named album of the year at the ceremony yesterday (September 6), despite facing some steep competition from Adele’s extremely popular new album, 21. While Adele’s hit record is better known in North America, Harvey’s new album is a very British endeavor, full of politically-charged messages and historical context.
The prestigious music prize is awarded annually for the best album from the U.K. and Ireland. Harvey also won the top prize in 2001, which is worth about $30,000. Her 2000 album, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, beat out contemporary contenders like Gorillaz, Radiohead and Elbow.
Released last February, Let England Shake is Harvey’s eighth studio album, a follow-up to 2009’s A Woman a Man Walked By. The album has been critically acclaimed and debuted at number eight on the U.K. Albums Chart, although it only reached 32nd place on the Billboard 200.