Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician and songwriter. Among the accolades she has received have been the 2001 Mercury Music Prize, six BRIT Award nominations, five Grammy nominations and two further Mercury Music Prize nominations. Rolling Stone named her 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter and 1995's Artist of the Year, and placed two of her albums on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. She was also rated the number one female rock artist by Q magazine in a 2002 poll. PJ Harvey began her career as part of a trio (with drummer Rob Ellis and bassist Steve Vaughan). She has since recorded as a solo artist. Origins Harvey was born in Yeovil, Somerset, England, and was brought up in nearby Corscombe, Dorset. The daughter of a stonemason and a sculptor, Harvey grew up on a small sheep farm.