Brothers Martin and Richard Williams and bassist Mark Butters grew up in the small coastal town of West Mersea.
Absent Kid were awarded their trophy by BBC Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman.
The band's debut mini-album, I Burnt Down the Family Business, was released with Fierce Panda on 25 April 2005 to critical acclaim.
While their previous works drew comparisons to Radiohead, the new album was hailed as more upbeat and made for the dancefloor.
[4] In December 2009 the band announced a return after a year long hiatus with a new line-up with guitarist Kerri-Ann Butcher (formerly from Stand Still Kid) replacing Dominic Harrison.