Muse are an English alternative rock band from Devon, England. Since their inception, the band has comprised Matthew Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums and percussion). Muse are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances and their fusion of many music genres, including progressive rock, classical music and electronica.
Muse have released five studio albums – Showbiz (1999); Origin of Symmetry (2001); Absolution (2003); Black Holes and Revelations (2006); and The Resistance (2009) – and one live album, HAARP (2008), and a compilation, Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002). Black Holes and Revelations earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination and a third place finish in the NME Albums of the Year list for 2006. Muse have won many other music awards throughout their career, including five MTV Europe Music Awards, five Q Awards, six NME Awards, two BRIT awards and four Kerrang! Awards. The majority of these awards have been attributed to their live performances.
Muse have been involved with Teenage Cancer Trust and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall where they donated all money made from the merchandise stands to the charity. On 25 September, 2008, all three members of the band were awarded Honorary Doctorates of the Arts by Plymouth University.