PJ Harvey won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize on September 11th for her most recent album, Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. The award is given annually for the year's best album by a British artist.

Harvey was not able to make it to London to accept the award in person, as she was stranded in Washington, D.C., after Tuesday's terrorist attacks caused a shutdown in civilian air travel.

"It has been a very surreal day," Harvey said by phone to those gathered at the Mercury ceremony. "All I can say is thank you very much. I am absolutely stunned."

The prize-winning Stories was Harvey's third Mercury nomination. The album was on a shortlist of a dozen recordings that included works by Radiohead, Turin Brakes and Zero 7.

ANDREW DANSBY
(September 13, 2001)