THE band of an ex-Monmouth Comprehensive School pupil has been named the winner of the BBC Music Sound of 2015 list.

Olly Alexander, who has also had a successful acting career, is the front man of soulful electronic trio Years & Years.

The band had a very successful 2014 playing coveted support slots with Clean Bandit and Sound of 2014 winner Sam Smith.

Years & Years also performed at a number of UK festivals including The Great Escape, Bestival and Latitutde. Their new single King also premiered on BBC Radio 1 earlier last week.

Around 140 influential music industry experts, including DJs, critics and bloggers, voted in this year's list.

Frontman Olly said: "We can't really get our heads around it, I nearly passed out when I found out, it was so surreal and emotional. It feels like it means we've got a real shot, which means the world to us.

"People are going to listen to what we're going to do, and we've just got to not much it up.

"We've got to make the most of it and deliver."

A longlist of the top 15 artists for BBC Sound of 2015 was published in December with the top five acts being revealed each day by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.

DJ Huw Stephens said: "Years & Years have already and will continue to capture imaginations with their electronic melo-dies 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 and 1Xtra, said: "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."

Head teacher at Monmouth Comprehensive School, Mr Davies, said: "At school, Olly was a charming and delightful young man who showed a real talent for music and drama.

"Olly appeared in many school shows and concerts.

"It was clear he was going to work in theatre and music as a career. As a school we have followed his success in the world of film, theatre and music.

"We are delighted with this recent recognition and hope at some time he can come back and perform with his band at school."

Olly's bandmates are bassist Mikey Goldsworthy and keyboard player Emre Turkmen.