Mercury Music Prize 2023

[Jordan]

Shortlist:


Arctic Monkeys - The Car

Ezra Collective - Where I’m Meant to Be

Fred Again.. - Actual Life 3

J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard

Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B

Lankum - False Lankum

Loyle Carner - Hugo

Olivia Dean - Messy

Raye - My 21st Century Blues

Shygirl - Nymph

Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy

[Jordan]

For me it's only really between Jessie Ware and Jockstrap.

[TheThorne]

all pretty meh, Jessie Ware is the best there and that isn't even in my top 75 albums of the year so far

[Shireblogger]

It's not been a vintage 12 months, so I'm another who is underwhelmed by the list.

Jessie Ware's is my favourite too, followed by Fred Again. But in a year when the pop/rock/dance/rap offerings are so unremarkable, I'd like to see the prize go to a minority genre.

Thus Lankum or Ezra Collective would be my hope for victory.

[Panda]

Loyle Carner for me.

[suedehead]

No Suede makes it a ridiculous list.

[Smurfie]

Jessie Ware. Really liked Fred Again - but that does sound like a watered down list.

[raliverpool]

On a US music website, they play a prediction game where I submitted my 12 selections in order of most likely to get nominated to least:

My selections were

Loyle Carner - Hugo
Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B
J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Lankum - False Lankum
Little Simz - No Thank You
Arctic Monkeys - The Car
The Murder Capitol - Gigi's Recovery
Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl
Kelela – Raven
Gorillaz - Cracker Island
Shygirl - Nymph
The Waeve - The Waeve

So I got six out of 12 correct.

I have to say it is the most underwhelming set of nominations for quite a few years, as (much as I love it) Jessie Ware's album is not as good as her previous album (What's Your Pleasure) - The same could be said for the Arctic Monkeys but I can't help thinking if they never had a ridiculous backlash for their Glastonbury Festival set due to Alex Turner's crooning to cope with his bout of laryngitis they would have missed out on a nomination; Raye's album sounds more like a compilation/mixtape than a cohesive album; whilst Brit alumni Olivia Dean whom is excellent, but the album could easily have been called "Samey" instead of "Messy". I also think Young Fathers are overrated, probably as I remember Fun Boy Three (on the tracks Terry Hall did not sing lead on).

Fair enough on Ezra Collective; & Fred Again.. getting nominated, as I nearly included them on my 12 along with Everything But The Girl.

As I don't think a British act has made a stonewall 10/10 album in the past 12 months, then I don't mind Loyle Corner's best album to date; or the undisputed best folk album of the past year by Lankum winning. Whilst if you bring visuals into the mix, then Kate Bush's favourite album of 2022 by Jockstrap would be a worthy winner too.

[TheThorne]

I agree that no UK act has made a 10/10 album in the last 12 months but these are all 4.5/5 for me but two are from the wrong genre


Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden

The breakthrough metal act of 2023 and they also cover so many genres but i am pretty sure they will not have entered as their identities are hidden but they are British.

You Me At Six - Truth Decay

The album of their career but a scene band is never going to get nominated for a Mercury even if they are now one of the best rock bands in the UK.

Depeche Mode - Memento mori

Their best album in the 21st century, I would say.


I guess also they are all too white, too old or too male or all three.

As when I googled Mercury Prize qualification just to check the dates this was what I was told that is somehow more important than the actual music.

This year's nominees are 50% male, 17% mixed gender acts and 33% female; 58% by artists of colour and 42% by white acts. The Mercury prize is open to British and Irish artists who released albums between 16 July 2022 and 14 July 2023.

www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/27/mercury-prize-nominations-arctic-monkeys#:~:text=This%20year's%20nominees%20are%2050,2022%20and%2014%20July%202023. 


Honorary Mentions: Hundred Reasons, Gorillaz and The Japanese House

[Panda]

Just turned BBC4 on to catch the end of the ceremony.

Didn't recognise Georgia from Jockstrap with dark hair.

[ManicKangaroo]

And the winner is...

Ezra Collective

[Panda]

First time the token jazz album has ever won.

[TheThorne]

Well it had the best chance with this year maybe the weakest one ever. They weren’t even the best jazz band on the night though Raye’s was better.

[Mic1812]

Not sure what i thought of their album. Its so so but makes a change that a different genre has won