Mercury Prize 2024

montyburns56

montyburns56

londonrain said:
I can understand an argument about leaning towards London (although in fairness London is massive and also is where a huge portion of the industry is situated) but the argument about “this lack of diversity” doesn’t make sense when you’re talking about black artists. As has been pointed out before, Ezra Collective isn’t an all-black group (and neither is Young Fathers, who are from Edinburgh). Wolf Alice won in 2018 and I don’t believe they have any black members. And, as @adayasatiger pointed out, it’s not like the winners have been predominantly from a particular genre of music.

So what is the lack of diversity you’re talking about? Your post comes off as saying “there are too many black winners” without acknowledging that there’s actually quite a lot of diversity in the recent winners.
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There's some diversity in terms of music genres, but even then has there ever been any heavy metal bands nominated?
 
montyburns56

montyburns56

Booers said:
The prize goes to the album the judges collectively agree is the worthy winner. I don't think any judge will be going "hmmm, white and from outside the M25 - it's a no from me". They will all be listening to these albums for weeks before the award night and basing it on the music, creativity, songwriting etc.
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No, of course they are not dismissing artists based on their ethnicity/location, but don't you find it strange how the same type of people have been winning it for the past ten years? Have all the other musicians just been phoning in the past decade?
 
montyburns56

montyburns56

minorkey said:
Every black winner of the past few years comes from different ethnic backgrounds and ancestries but of course to you they're all the same. Thanks for giving us a peek into how your mind works.
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I'm well aware of the various ethnic groups in the black community, but is Sadiq Khan being racist when he talks about "London's Black culture and creativity"? or is only bad when someone like me turns them into a homogenous group?
 
montyburns56

montyburns56

Blond said:
I don’t really agree with this take. I think the only worthy contenders this year were black artists and a lot of the best UK music (with genuine critical acclaim) tends to come from black people from London. I’m interested to know who you might have thought deserved it this year?
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I'm not saying that the winners don't deserve to win and obviously black artists punch above their weight in the music industry, but I was just making the point that if white artists were winning year after year, we all know what some people would be saying about the lack of ethnic diversity.
 
montyburns56

montyburns56

jordxn said:
Just say you’re racist and keep it moving precious.
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So would you also say that Adjoa Andoh was racist for saying that the Royal Family is terribly white? Was 'The Black Farmer' racist for saying that the women's England team wasn't diverse as it was full of blond, blue eyed girls?
 
IAmRockstar

IAmRockstar

montyburns56 said:
Okay, so if white artists had won the prize for 90% of the previous years, are you saying that no one would be saying anything about the lack of ethnic diversity of the winners?
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So like the Brit Awards? This is such a defunct argument, please drop it.

So happy Ezra Collective won. Their album was easily one of the best of last year and felt like a real London soundtrack. A proper celebration!
 
londonrain

londonrain

Staff member
montyburns56 said:
No, of course they are not dismissing artists based on their ethnicity/location, but don't you find it strange how the same type of people have been winning it for the past ten years? Have all the other musicians just been phoning in the past decade?
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Attempting to say that a bias in favour of white people is the same as a bias in favour of black people ignores the fact that systemic racism exists and that black people have historically been discriminated against in this country.

Claiming that white people aren’t being represented enough in any area of British life shows a surprising ignorance of history and also effectively argues that blackness is a singular entity that should be reduced to a quota (“we can’t have a black winner this year because we had one last year”). Several posters have already explained how “the same type of people” have NOT been winning it for the past ten years, as the winners have not been exclusively from one race, one genre or one city, so the only conclusion I can reasonably draw is that you think that we shouldn’t have so many black winners regardless of genre or origin, which is literally discriminating against musicians based on their status as part of a minority racial group - the very definition of racism.

Please move on from this subject or I will be issuing a temporary ban so you can take the time to educate yourself on this.
 
Someboy

Someboy

So utterly bizarre...

Anyway. I had been making my way through the nominees, and of course, the winner was an album I hadn't got to yet.

The Olivia Dean album is especially strong, and so is the Young Fathers record, which at first I found difficult when it was released, but with some time, the melodies have really shown and I love it.

Arctic Monkeys and Jessie Ware were completely the wrong records to have been winners. The Monkeys probably should have won a second time for AM, but not ten years(!) later for The Car.

The Jockstrap records has some great highlights, but doesn't coalesce into a great body of work, in my opinion. Shygirl would have been a cool, unexpected pick, but maybe 'the nomination is the win' in her case.
 
HeartSwells

HeartSwells

he/him
That time again, shortlist is due on Thursday.

Releases between Saturday 15 July 2023 and Friday 12 July 2024, but needed to have been submitted by 8th May.

Dork put out a list of shouts:
Charli xcx
CMAT
Nia Archives
The Last Dinner Party
Dua Lipa
Yard Act
English Teacher
IDLES
Bill Ryder-Jones
Rachel Chinouriri
Sampha
Corinne Bailey Rae
Jungle
PinkPantheress
Blur
Yussef Dayes
The Smile
Bob Vylan
Romy
Barry Can't Swim
Jorja Smith
Sprints

My predictions are gonna be:
Charli xcx
The Last Dinner Party
Nia Archives
Corinne Bailey Rae
Bill Ryder-Jones
Beth Gibbons
Bob Vylan
Rachel Chinouriri
Sampha
Ghetts
Lynks
Dua Lipa
(swap one of the above with a jazz album I don't know)

Be cool to see CMAT but I don't think the album does her justice.
 
dylanaber

dylanaber

Oof I forgot about the direction this thread took last year.

I'd be surprised if Kneecap wasn't on the list, and surprised if Radical Optimism was.

English Teacher, Beth Gibbons, Ghetts and Bill Ryder Jones feel like safe bets, I'd add Fabiana Palladino and Jane Weaver and maybe A.G. Cook (??) to that longlist too.
 
HeartSwells

HeartSwells

he/him
List is out:

Barry Can't Swim - When Will We Land?
BERWYN - WHO AM I
Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Cat Burns - early twenties
Charli xcx - BRAT
CMAT - CrazyMad, For Me
Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows
corto.alto - Bad With Names
English Teacher - This Could Be Texas
Ghetts - On Purpose, With Purpose
Nia Archives - Silence Is Loud
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude To Ecstasy

Not really sure how this will go, Corinne's album was such a curveball and powerful statement that I can see them going for her. Surprised they didn't include a well enough reviewed BIG act, like Dua or Blur, though maybe Charli fits that category now.

Also is the Cat Burns album any good? I just assumed it was for facebook mums in their 30s nn.
 
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