yep , rarely goes to an established band/artist , and like most music awards it is completely meaningless anyway...

The winners and losers of the Mercury shortlist

 

Let’s be clear about this. It wasn’t that the music industry types assembled at the announcement of this year’s Nationwide Mercury Shortlist didn’t like Raising Sand – although from the synchronized quizzical furrowing of 200 eyebrows, you would have been forgiven for thinking that. It’s just that the Mercury is a prize awarded to British albums. Admittedly, Robert Plant is British, but on a record of duets with an American singer (Alison Krauss) comprised mostly of American songs, many chosen and produced by an American (T-Bone Burnett) – well, it seemed a little contrary.

 

But then, contrary is what the Mercury does best of all. Hence no room for Goldfrapp and Paul Weller, despite both releasing the most acclaimed albums of their careers in recent months. Having been nominated for their previous three albums – including 2005’s turgid X and Y, Coldplay will feel aggrieved that their Viva La Vida opus didn’t make it in. Super Furry Animals’ Hey Venus deserved to be in there, but the Welsh group’s frontman Gruff Rhys will take some comfort in the fact that his moreish synth-pop side project Neon Neon – inspired by the life of Seventies car tycoon John De Lorean – landed him a nomination. It’s surely with mixed feelings that Alex Turner’s fellow Arctic Monkeys will gaze on at the presence of his side-project The Last Shadow Puppets. Turner seems to be conspicuously more fired up by the orchestral pop possibilities explored by him and his new best chum Miles Kane than he ever was in his other band.

 

What distinguishes the Mercury from other music prizes, of course, is its ability to instantly make household names of hitherto unknown artists – if only for a little while. At the Mercury nominations three years ago, Seth Lakeman turned up and – by whipping out his violin and playing a song to the assembled media – ended up on every nationwide news bulletin by teatime. At today’s announcement, the excellent Portico Quartet did the same by using what appeared to be a £24.99 Homebase barbeque as percussion (they claimed it was a Swedish instrument called a Hang). No chance, it must be said, of such sudden fame befalling South London dubstep practioner Burial, who keeps his identity secret. Quite how long his anomymity will last, now that the plangent, cinematic sound-sketches of his second album Untrue have come to wider attention, is anyone’s guess.

 

Elsewhere, it’s a list that divides between resurgent emissaries of left-field rock and strong young female artists. Among the former, even the Mercury’s propensity to willfulness wouldn’t have dared extend to omitting Radiohead’s endlessly repeatable In Rainbows. Radiohead may have made the more daring album – but for synergy of restrained lyrical confessionals and consistently breathtaking arrangements, Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid is probably marginally more than its match. What this year’s list seems to have finally formalized, however, is that the strongest emerging songwriting talents are to be found in young female artists. On the face of it, Laura Marling and Adele would seem to have a lot in common. Just over a year separates them, and both their albums suggest the use of failed relationships as creative fuel. If only for the fact that Adele still sounds like a work in progress, Marling is a smarter bet for outright victory. Alas I Cannot Swim – Marling’s album of intricate literate chamber-pop vignettes – would be remarkable from a songwriter of any age, let along one who recorded these songs aged 17. Also welcome on the shortlist are Rachel Unthank & The Winterset, whose bleak baroque reconfiguration of English folk music has resulted in an excellent second album The Bairns.

 

If this year’s Mercury goes to a woman for the first time since 2002, it will probably go to Estelle’s Shine. All the components are in place. British black music has fared comparatively poorly in recent years – and, having relocated to New York and secured a worldwide deal after being dropped by her UK label, she’s also made a record that bears repeated listening. Amid all the debate and counter-debate concerning what makes a worthy winner, that latter criterion (see past winners: Antony & The Johnsons, Roni Size, M People) can sometimes get forgotten. Not this year though. Whichever way you look at it, the inescapable conclusion is that British music is in better shape than it has been for years.

 

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4378109.ece

Burial FTW!!! :D It's a gorgeous album. Very different, but gorgeous.

 

I think that unlike X&Y, VLV is going to be remembered much more fondly than it was received. My opinion of it now is already much higher than it was when it came out.

I'm glad they haven't been nominated.

 

At the end of the day, how ridiculous would it look if they presented Coldplay with a cheque for £20,000!!! They wouldn't even turn up for that much!!!

 

And the first line of one of the articles says it all....... "The biggest band in the world..."

 

The Nationwide Mercury prize is not meant to go to the biggest band in the world... that's not the point of it!!!

I believe they have an equivilent to the Mercury in the US, but that your only eligible if it's your first album or it's sold less than a certain amount of copies - can anyone confirm that?

 

Anyway, I've always thought it would be a good idea to make the Mercury a prize for newcomers.

 

Frankly, the fact Radiohead have been nominated 5 times and never won just devalues the whole thing. M People have a Mercury Award for God's sake!

They do? :surprised: :lol:

Yeah, for the life of me I can't remember what the bloody thing is called, but it's open to anyone (ie not just American acts) and Feist was nominated a couple of years back.

From Wikipedia:

 

The Shortlist Music Prize is a music award given annually to an album released in the United States within the last year, as chosen by a panel of musicians, producers and journalists, known as the "Listmakers". Albums are eligible only if they have not been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America by the time of nomination. The Shortlist Music Prize was first given in 2001.

 

Feist won for The Reminder - and it catapulted her to ITunes glory and millions of album sales!

This award is completely meaningless anyway. It's just an excuse for mutual back-slapping among the major record labels.;)

It usually goes to somebody mega-sh*t like Dizzee Rascal.:angry:

I think the mixed reviews made it an easy decision for the panel - the wrong one in my opinion, but then I can't remember the last time I agreed with them...

 

... it was probably when they gave it to Miss Dynamite... and it killed her career!

 

 

I think she pretty much killed it herself, actually!

 

Anthony and The Johnsons didn't exactly set the world alight after winning, either!:rolleyes:

I think she pretty much killed it herself, actually!

 

Anthony and The Johnsons didn't exactly set the world alight after winning, either!:rolleyes:

 

Evening Sir - Mimi was pre-empting your puns on the Christian Bale thread earlier!

 

Anyway, back to the Mercury. I think if you made it a newcomer award, or something similar to the Shortlist, it would have more credibility. Anthony & the Johnsons may have been taken more seriously if they'd beaten a group of similar unknowns, rather than Coldplay or the Kaisers as was the case that year.

 

OK Computer got beat by Roni Size!

 

M People beat out Blur & Pulp!

Evening Sir - Mimi was pre-empting your puns on the Christian Bale thread earlier!

 

Anyway, back to the Mercury. I think if you made it a newcomer award, or something similar to the Shortlist, it would have more credibility. Anthony & the Johnsons may have been taken more seriously if they'd beaten a group of similar unknowns, rather than Coldplay or the Kaisers as was the case that year.

 

OK Computer got beat by Roni Size!

 

M People beat out Blur & Pulp!

 

And how could Dizzee Rascal beat anyone?? That's some of the most awful noise I've ever heard!!:stunned:

this award is such a complete sham , when a seriously good album is nominated it never wins , maybe that is the way to gauge this award , the acts that lose are truly the winner...

this award is such a complete sham , when a seriously good album is nominated it never wins , maybe that is the way to gauge this award , the acts that lose are truly the winner...

 

Yup - it's all a big fix if you ask me................................ :angry:

And how could Dizzee Rascal beat anyone?? That's some of the most awful noise I've ever heard!!:stunned:

 

Oh dear, this could be the end of a beautiful friendship... but I must confess I really like his newer stuff. :embarassed:

Oh dear, this could be the end of a beautiful friendship... but I must confess I really like his newer stuff. :embarassed:

 

I just can't listen to him - his rapping really gets on my nerves. Plus he completely ruined the Band Aid 20 song when it came out.:(

I just can't listen to him - his rapping really gets on my nerves. Plus he completely ruined the Band Aid 20 song when it came out.:(

 

I really liked that too - quick, back to the puns before I say something that shames me forever :rolleyes:

yeah , I don't care for him either , there are a few acts I liked that won it years ago , when I was in my early teens( early to mid 90's) , but it has really never been anything even worth a listen since...

I think the reason why it's not in the list is because it's only been out a month. It might be in next years list. I think it's between Radiohead and Elbow this year but who knows.

I really liked that too - quick, back to the puns before I say something that shames me forever :rolleyes:

 

Well if you said it in Dizzee Rascal style, I probably wouldn't be able to understand it anyway!!:P

I think the reason why it's not in the list is because it's only been out a month. It might be in next years list. I think it's between Radiohead and Elbow this year but who knows.

 

Nope, it's a snub. In the past there have been albums released on a Monday and nominated later in the week.

 

I agree about Elbow having a shot though

Nope, it's a snub. In the past there have been albums released on a Monday and nominated later in the week.

 

I agree about Elbow having a shot though

 

if it's a snub then down with the mercury prize! :veryangry2: I think Elbow deserve to win, they're such a good band and never seem to get the recognition that they derserve :cry:

if it's a snub then down with the mercury prize! :veryangry2: I think Elbow deserve to win, they're such a good band and never seem to get the recognition that they derserve :cry:

 

I wouldn't have a problem with Elbow winning it. I was quite impressed with what I saw of them at Glasto.;)

Estelle?

 

 

What?

Does Coldplay need the extra sales generated by a Mercury nomination?

 

Better not to be nominated, than to be nominated and not win, but the Mercury judges are a strange bunch (like giving Klaxons the award last year)