The xx Album Sales Will 'Rocket' After Mercury Prize 2010 Win

Sales of The xx’s self-titled debut album are expected to rise sharply following their Mercury Prize triumph last night (September 7).

The album beat eleven other releases to claim the award at a ceremony in London.

It originally peaked at number ten on the UK charts upon its initial release last year, but is now expected to climb higher.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo told Gigwise that of all the nominations The xx’s album had the biggest potential to sell more copies.

“The xx were already well on their way, but this award gives the band a great platform to really push on and connect with an even wider audience,” he said.

“Their debut album has enjoyed great word-of-mouth and respectable sales since its release, but with the Mercury prize now lighting the touch paper, we expect demand for it to rocket - at least four or five fold over the coming days, accompanied by surge back into the top 5 of the UK charts."

Past winners of the Mercury Prize have nearly always enjoyed a post-event sales boost.

Sales of Elbow’s ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ rose by almost 600% overnight following their triumph in 2008.

The xx had been hotly tipped to win the award going into last night’s ceremony. Other nominees included Foals, Paul Weller and Wild Beasts.

Castaldo told Gigwise that the award could also prove lucrative for the smaller acts who were nominated, including Kit Downes Trio and Laura Marling.

“The Mercury Prize shines a spotlight on artists and their music which may not been that well know to a wider audience and to the mainstream record-buying public, where the big album sales can lie,” he said.

You can see highlights from last night’s ceremony in Gigwise below.