Arlo Parks has been announced as the winner of the 2021 Mercury Prize, awarded annually to one outstanding album from the UK or Ireland. The London singer-songwriter won for her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams, which came out in January, and she performed its track "Too Good" during the award ceremony.
The rest of the shortlist included albums by Berwyn, Black Country, New Road, Celeste, Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, And the London Symphony Orchestra, Ghetts, Hannah Peel, Laura Mvula, Mogwai, Nubya Garcia, Sault, and Wolf Alice. Thanks to Rina Sawayama, any artist who has lived in the UK for at least five years was eligible this year.
Michael Kiwanuka won the Mercury Prize last year for his 2019 album KIWANUKA; other previous winners include Dave, Wolf Alice, and Sampha.
https://twitter.com/MercuryPrize/status/1436074004830425088
https://twitter.com/MercuryPrize/status/1436079008039546881
a joy to be burning up the red carpet in @Prada for the Hyundai @MercuryPrize Awards - feel surrounded by so much talent n genuine love for music - this is the venue I used to cycle by on the way to school as a kid… pic.twitter.com/CVDfPZ8TPJ
— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) September 9, 2021
