Gorillaz Artist Wins Design Award

The cartoonist behind animated band Gorillaz has won the prestigious Designer of the Year award.


Jamie Hewlett, who co-created the group with Blur frontman Damon Albarn, was given the £25,000 prize by London's Design Museum.

He beat competition including furniture designer Tom Dixon and the team behind the Guardian newspaper's redesign.

Hewlett won for creating the Gorillaz website, animations, "live" performances and "personal mythology".
The jury said his work defined "the shape of things to come".
"It harnesses culture through design. It's fresh and original and captures the mood of the moment."


Gorillaz were conceived in 1999 as a reaction to manufactured pop bands.
Their latest album, Demon Days, was the UK's fifth best-selling album of 2005.

Earlier this year, they played a sell-out week of concerts in Manchester and New York, and duetted with Madonna at the Grammy Awards.