Every year, a panel of music industry types and critics gets together to anoint its pick for the best British album of the year, and the prize has been a pretty big deal over the years. Last year, PJ Harvey took the Mercury Music Prize home for Let England Shake. This year, the list of nominees trends a whole lot younger and less experienced. Jessie Ware and Django Django, both of whom are on Stereogum’s list of 40 best new bands of 2012, are nominated, as are Field Music, Richard Hawley, the Maccabees, and Plan B. Check out the list of nominees below.
Jessie Ware – Devotion
Django Django – Django Django
The Maccabees – Given To The Wild
Roller Trio – Roller Trio
Richard Hawley – Standing At The Sky’s Edge
Field Music – Plumb
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Ben Howard – Every Kingdom
Plan B – Ill Manners
Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough
Sam Lee – Ground Of Its Own
Barclaycard will announce the winner at an 11/1 ceremony. Go Jessie Ware!
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Don’t really see a huge standout here. Just me?
Yeah, although for the past 2 years there’s been one that’s so ridiculously obvious everybody else might as well not have bothered showing up. I would say that it’s interesting to have a level playing field, although I don’t really think ‘interesting’ can be accurately applied to this list.
That would have been my (less mainstream) guess for the 2012 shortlist:
1) Jessie Ware (RIGHT)
2) Florence + the Machine
3) Dexys (b/c their record was so much-lauded this year)
4) Django Django (RIGHT)
5) Actress – R.I.P.
6) Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny
7) Michael Kiwanuka (RIGHT)
8) Sinead O’Connor (they always need at least one Irish act, I guess)
9) Plan B (RIGHT)
10) Dave Stapleton (Jazz placeholder of 2012 -> see Roller Trio)
11) Laura Marling (because she was nominated 2 times before)
12) Hot Chip
US bands and artists released more noteworthy music than the Brits and the Irish lads and lasses this year and in the second half of 2011, I guess?
I’m really shocked Florence + the Machine aren’t here. I mean, their last album was so much better than the first, and that was favourite to win the year it was released. And any personal opinion aside, she’s the kind of thing the Mercury’s would go for.
I put my money on Jessie Ware, for sure. I’d like Alt-J or Django Django to win, though.
Has anyone checked out voiceyoursupport.co.uk? It’s really cool!