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The eye-catching sleeve for the latest album by British rockers Muse has been named the best record cover of 2009.

The artwork for The Resistance won the Best Art Vinyl prize, with Manic Street Preachers' Journal For Plague Lovers coming second in the online poll.

Third place went to Fever Ray's self-titled album, with Massive Attack and Green Day rounding out the top five.

A mixture of 50 obscure and well-known vinyl record sleeves from 2009 were shortlisted for the prize.

The winning sleeves will be featured in an exhibition at the Art Vinyl gallery in the Selfridges department store in central London.

'Unsung heroes'

They can also be viewed at three other locations in Birmingham, Folkestone and east London.

Art Vinyl director Andrew Heeps said the award, now in its fifth year, was "a great way to celebrate the unsung heroes behind the art and design of some of our favourite bands and artists".

US indie band Fleet Foxes won last year's top prize with their self-titled debut album.

The sleeve for The Resistance, released last September, was the work of London design firm La Boca.

Other previous recipients of the award include Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV and Thom Yorke's The Eraser.