BOLTON music sensation Badly Drawn Boy is on top of the music world this morning after winning the industry's top award.

The 30-year-old from Breightmet -- real name Damon Gough -- beat 11 acts, including bookies' favourites Coldplay and Richard Ashcroft, to take the Mercury Music Prize last night.

He said: "It seems fickle to say but I don't know how to make a song.

"I'm not like Lauren Hill saying it's a gift from God. I'll go home tomorrow and I can't write for toffee.

"I'm never getting any better than when I was 18-years-old."

So many well-wishers wanted to congratulate Damon on his triumph that it took him four minutes to get to the stage at London's Grosvenor Hotel.

The Mercury Music Prize is worth £20,000 but its value in boosting sales of his album, Hour of the Bewilderbeast, is expected to be much greater if the experience of previous winners is anything to go by.

Victory caps a remarkable year for Damon, whose debut won almost universal critical praise and reached number 13 in the charts.

His single, Disillusion, entered the charts at number 26 on Sunday.

Damon was brought up at Broderick Drive, Breightmet, before moving to Belmont. He worked at his parents' Bolton printing firm until forming his own record label, Twisted Nerve, with friend Andy Vodel in 1996.

The release of his first EP, which sold 500 copies, prompted a record industry war for his signature.

Damon chose XL Records but admits the pressure of being billed as the next big thing made him take his time with his debut album.