Arctic Monkeys debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' has won this year's Nationwide Mercury Music Prize at a ceremony in London tonight (September 5).

The band picked up the £20,000 prize from presenter Jools Holland at the bash at the Grosvenor House hotel.

Commenting on the win, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner said: "Somebody call 999, Richard Hawley's been robbed!" in reference to the also-nominated singer-songewriter who also hails from the band's native Yorkshire city of Sheffield.

Turner added: "Thanks to everyone that's helped us.

"Normally it (the award) doesn't go to a band that's sold so many records, to be blunt."

This year's full nominations were:

Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - 'Ballad Of The Broken Seas'
Editors - 'The Back Room'
Guillemots - 'Through The Windowpane'
Richard Hawley - 'Coles Corner'
Hot Chip - 'The Warning'
Muse - 'Black Holes & Revelations'
Zoe Rahman - 'Melting Pot'
Lou Rhodes - 'Beloved One'
Scritti Politti - 'White Bread Black Beer'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'
Thom Yorke - 'The Eraser'

Last year's prize was won by Antony & the Johnsons for the album 'I Am A Bird Now'.y