Arctic Monkeys, Raye, and Fred Again.. have been announced as nominees for the 2023 Mercury Prize album of the year award.
The prestigious music award ceremony, to be hosted by radio DJ and broadcaster Lauren Laverne, is scheduled for Thursday at the Eventim Apollo in London’s Hammersmith.
The event will showcase live performances by 10 of the 12 shortlisted artists.
Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again.. on Tour
While both Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again.. are currently on tour in September and will not be attending the ceremony in person, a live performance film will be presented to celebrate their nominated albums.
Arctic Monkeys, known for their extensive music career spanning two decades, marked their return in August 2022 with their seventh studio album titled “The Car.”
Notably, all six of their previous studio albums reached number one in the UK, with “The Car” peaking at number two on the Official UK Chart.
Fred Again..’s “Actual Life 3” Nominated
Fred Again..’s album “Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9, 2022)” is also in the running for the Mercury Prize, which recognizes outstanding British and Irish albums of the year.
The British songwriter, producer, and DJ, at the age of 30, made history in 2020 as the youngest musician to win the producer of the year award at the Brit Awards.
His 2022 album achieved success, reaching number four on the UK album chart.
Debut Nominees and Notable Entries
This year’s Mercury Prize shortlist includes several first-time nominees, such as Raye, with her debut album “My 21st Century Blues,” which features her number one single “Escapism.”
Raye’s achievements also include winning the award for best contemporary song at the Ivor Novello Awards and collaborating with British grime star Stormzy on the track “The Weekend.”
Other notable nominees in the running for the Mercury Prize are London-born singer Jessie Ware with her 2022 album “That! Feels Good!” (peaking at number three on the UK albums chart), rapper J Hus with “Beautiful And Brutal Yard,” Ezra Collective’s “Where I’m Meant To Be,” and singer-songwriter Olivia Dean’s debut album “Messy.”
Additionally, UK duo Jockstrap’s debut album “I Love You Jennifer B,” Irish folk group Lankum’s “False Lankum,” rapper and singer Shygirl’s “Nymph,” hip-hop artist Loyle Carner’s “Hugo,” and Scottish band Young Fathers’ “Heavy Heavy” are also featured on the shortlist.
The selection of the shortlist was carried out by an independent judging panel that included BBC DJs Jamz Supernova and MistaJam.
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn