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Twelve acts competed for this year's Mercury Music Prize - Britain's most coveted music award - with contenders including Newcastle band Maximo Park for their album A Certain Trigger.

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Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall was among nominees who performed at the ceremony in London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Tuesday, with a song from debut album Eye to the Telescope.

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New York-based band Antony and the Johnsons qualified for the award, intended for British and Irish acts, because singer Antony Hegarty (right) was born in Chichester. He was joined by guitarist Rob Moose and cellist Julia Kent.

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Leeds-based rock band Kaiser Chiefs began the evening as firm favourites but, despite a rousing live performance of I Predict a Riot from their debut album Employment, they did not win the top prize.

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Folk musician Seth Lakeman was nominated for his second solo album Kitty Jay, a record he produced in the kitchen of his Devon cottage.

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The Magic Numbers were named best new act at the Mojo awards in June, but their self-titled debut album failed to take the Mercury prize on Tuesday.

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Kele Okereke, lead singer of four-piece band Bloc Party, drew on their nominated album Silent Alarm for their live performance.

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Their infectious brand of "streetwise guitar music" earned Hard-Fi a Mercury nomination. The band from Staines, Middlesex, has already taken Stars of CCTV into the UK album chart.

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Rapper M.I.A was born in London but moved to Sri Lanka as a child. Her debut album Arular had been among the Mercury favourites.

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Antony and the Johnsons gave a spine-tingling performance of Hope There's Someone before winning the Mercury Music Prize for their album I Am A Bird Now. Singer Antony Hegarty admitted he was "completely overwhelmed" by their victory.