Years & Years have been crowned the BBC Sound Of 2015 winners

Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens has been announcing the shortlist on the Breakfast Show each morning, and has just revealed Years & Years have nabbed the top spot. In a statement, he said: "Years & Years have already and will continue to capture imaginations with their electronic melodies and lively on stage sets. They are a young band with loads of ideas and a clear vision of the music they want to make, and that will take them far this year."

George Ergatoudis, Head of Music for BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra, added: "Lead singer Olly Alexander is blessed with a distinctive intoxicating voice that works beautifully with the band’s emotive electropop production. They fully deserve to top BBC Music’s Sound Of 2015 and they’re surely set for stellar success."

Just under a year ago, we interviewed the band, when they were still relative unknowns about to explode onto the festival circuit; speaking about their future, they said that their aims were: "being able to say, “What me? Oh yeah I make a living making music, I’m a musician.” That’s a goal (although said in a less douchey way…). We’d love to tour all over the world – have people in Vietnam know the words to our songs – make people feel things, the general band stuff."

Previous winners of the prize include Sam Smith (2014), Haim (2013) and Michael Kiwanuka (2012). 50 Cent, Adele and The Bravery have also won the prize.

Yesterday (8 January), the Years & Years announced the release of "King", a new single for 1 March (via Polydor). You can stream it below.