FEATURE:
Among the Dozen…
IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah
Predicting Albums That Could Make the Shortlist for this Year’s Mercury Prize
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I have…
IN THIS PHOTO: SPRINTS
already put out a feature predicting albums that could well be in the running for this year’s Mercury Prize. The closing date for entries has already passed. We are in that gap between the window closing and the shortlist being announced. I know some say awards aren’t everything and the Mercury Prize is a little limited though, if you think about the fact Ezra Collective won it last year (and they are Jazz-based), then it is broad. I know it has a problem handing it out to London artists. I think it has gone to a London/London-based artist for the past nine years. If you count artists born outside of London but now based there, we could see a tenth consecutive year where a London artist wins it. It calls into question the relevance of an award that does not look beyond the capital. I know they are awarding it based on quality and merit, yet one would imagine that there is a slightly London bias. I don’t think we will see a London-based/born artist win it this year. I am holding cards close to check. I have in mind an artist who I think will win it. Rather than focus on each album and give you reviews and details, I have compiled a playlist of songs from fifteen albums that I feel will be in the running. In the coming weeks, we will see others make their Mercury Prize predictions. I think that the twelve shortlisted albums will be announced next month. I think the past year has been a remarkable one for British and Irish music. I have compiled a playlist of songs from fifteen albums I think are favourites to get a Mercury Prize shortlist nod. It is clear from this stellar list of albums that it will be a tightly-contested event. We will know who walks away with the honour later in the year. For now, wrap your ears around some wonderful songs (from great albums) by incredible British and Irish artists. The fifteen artists in this playlist are all worth of…
A Mercury Prize shortlist inclusion.