Award winner caught in US chaos

Harvey played a concert in Washington on Monday

Mercury Music Prize winner PJ Harvey has said Tuesday's events are "hard to take in" after being caught up in the terror attack on Washington DC before finding out she had won the prestigious prize.

Harvey said her hotel in the city overlooked the Pentagon, which was hit by a hijacked passenger jet.

The singer had played a concert in Washington DC on Monday night, and was due to move on to Chicago on Tuesday.

It's just been a very surreal day - this [award] comes at a time when I'm feeling very stunned by everything

PJ Harvey

"This whole city is shocked," she told journalists at the London award ceremony over the telephone from Washington.

"Myself and my band are all partly involved in all that. We can see the Pentagon from our window."

She said she had not expected to receive news of her award after being caught up in events in America.

"It's just been a very surreal day. This [award] comes at a time when I'm feeling very stunned by everything."

Postpone

Harvey had been due to play a show in Chicago on Thursday, 13 September, and said that she still hoped to travel to the city.

But she did not know whether the gig would be put back after all planes in the US were grounded.

"Whether the show will be postponed I don't know because everything here is actually on hold right now. Everything's been postponed all the way down the line," she said.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter also has concerts scheduled for Denver on 15 September, San Francisco on 18 September and Los Angeles on 21 September.

She has already appeared in New York, Boston, Philadelphia as well as Washington, and is also due to play UK shows after returning from America.