2005

Every now and then a rare musical talent comes along who is completely un-categorizable, a true one-off. Antony Hegarty, of Antony and the Johnsons, is one such talent. Antony was acclaimed as a worthy winner in what was an exceptional year for music of many different genres. What was particularly exciting was that so many of the albums were debuts, including first releases by the likes of Hard-Fi, MIA, Maximo Park and Bloc Party, complimenting releases by more established acts such as Coldplay.

The 2005 Awards Show, in addition to a moving performance by Antony, also featured stand-out performances from the rousing Kaiser Chiefs, the masters of harmony The Magic Numbers, folk sensation Seth Lakeman, the infectious Go Team! and jazz pioneers Polar Bear. But the biggest cheer of the night came at the end with the announcement that the 2005 Prize had gone to Antony and the Johnsons for the extraordinary album 'I Am A Bird Now'.