It’s that time of the year when the best of British and Irish music battle it out for one of the most prestigious prizes in music – the Mercury Prize – and the nominations have just been revealed.
Yesterday we predicted who should be nominated and we’re pleased to say, we were almost spot on.
Wet Leg are the first to be nominated with their unstoppable debut album, ‘Wet Leg’. The Isle of Wight group broke through with their huge debut single, ‘Chaise Longue’ and have been the band on everyone’s lips for the last twelve months. It’s an unsurprising, and very well deserved, first reveal.
Scottish pianist, Fergus McCreadie is up next, for his album ‘Forest Floor’. He tells Radio 1 he’s excited and a little scared to be nominated, highlighting the thriving Scottish jazz scene that he’s a part of.
Self Esteem and Harry Styles are flying the flag for pop music in this year’s list. Whereas Sam Fender, Yard Act and Nova Twins represent guitar music at its finest.
See the full list below:
Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’
Gwenno ‘Tresor’
Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
Joy Crookes ‘Skin’
Kojey Radical ‘Reason to Smile’
Little Simz ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Nova Twins ‘Supernova’
Sam Fender ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wet Leg ‘Wet Leg’
Yard Act ‘The Overload’
The Mercury Prize was founded in 1992 to celebrate the best British and Irish album of the last twelve months, regardless of genre or musical style. In a streaming age, the prize seems more important than ever. Last year’s Mercury Prize was won by Arlo Parks for her debut solo album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams‘.
READ MORE: Wet Leg Interviewed | Do Believe The Hype
