Award-winning U.K. garage duo Artful Dodger has thrown in the towel. A statement issued by Warner Music confirmed that Mark Hill and Pete Devereux -- who were recently honored with an Ivor Novello award for their songwriting skills -- have amicably parted company. The news comes just weeks before the release of their group's next single, "Twentyfour/Seven," which features guest vocalist Melanie Blatt, late of All Saints.

The Southampton duo, who also won a Sony Award for the "Artful Dodger and Craig David Radio Show" on London-based station Capital FM, has been working together for five years. The pair scored their first chart success in 1999 with the international hit "Re-Rewind." Since then they have racked up singles sales of more than 2 million units with four more U.K. top-10 hits, and a platinum selling debut album, "It's All About the Stragglers."

Hill is expected to continue to produce and remix under the Artful Dodger name, with a new album tentatively scheduled for summer 2002. Devereux is writing and producing tracks for his new projects and will continue to DJ under his own name.