Mercury Prize

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Mercury Music Prize)
Jump to: navigation, search

The Mercury Prize, formerly the 'Mercury Music Prize' and currently known as the 'Barclaycard Mercury Prize' for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland. It was established by the BPI and BARD (the British Association of Record Dealers) in 1992 as an alternative to the industry-dominated BRIT Awards. It was originally sponsored by the communications company Cable & Wireless, followed in 1998 by Technics, in 2002 by Panasonic and starting in 2004 the Nationwide Building Society. Barclaycard became the Prize's new sponsor in March 2009.

The awards usually take place in September but nominated albums are announced in July. It is often observed that bands who are nominated for, or indeed win the prize experience a large increase in album sales, particularly for the lesser known nominees.[1] Nominations are chosen by a selected panel of musicians, music executives, journalists and other figures in the music industry in the UK and Ireland. The Mercury Prize also has a reputation for being awarded to outside chances rather than the favourites.[2]

[edit] Criticism

The 1994 award winners were the pop act M People, a controversial decision considering the shortlist included popular albums from Britpop figureheads Paul Weller, Blur and Pulp, and electronica leaders The Prodigy.[3][4][5]

Other music journalists critical of the awards stated that the 2005 award should not have been given to Antony and the Johnsons because they were a British-born and American-based act.[6][7] In 2006 Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell's Ballad of the Broken Seas was included in the shortlist, despite Lanegan not being British and fellow 2006 nominees Guillemots had band members from Brazil and Canada.[8][9][10]

The presence of classical, folk and jazz recordings has been cited by some as rather anomalous, arguing that comparisons with the other nominees can be invidious.[11] Classical nominees have included Sir John Tavener, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Gavin Bryars and Nicholas Maw. None has ever won, and there has not been a shortlisted classical album since 2002.

[edit] Shortlists

Each year's winner (where confirmed) is in bold.

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992

[edit] 2008

[edit] 2007

[edit] 2006

[edit] 2005

[edit] 2004

[edit] 2003

[edit] 2002

[edit] 2001

[edit] 2000

[edit] 1999

[edit] 1998

[edit] 1997

[edit] 1996

[edit] 1995

[edit] 1994

[edit] 1993

[edit] 1992

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Scotsman
  2. ^ Prize in sight for Amy, BANG Media International
  3. ^ Judging music the Mercury way, BBC News
  4. ^ Why Mercury makes Isobel's blood boil at pop industry, Scotsman
  5. ^ Does the Mercury Prize get it right?, BBC News
  6. ^ Inaugural Australian music prize announced, ABC
  7. ^ Antony and Johnsons win Mercury, BBC News
  8. ^ Who can beat the Arctic Monkeys to win the Mercury Prize?, BBC Radio 6
  9. ^ Drowned in Sound
  10. ^ Muso's Guide
  11. ^ Back to Basics, Guardian Online
  12. ^ Mercury Prize's guessing game, BBC News

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Prize"
Personal tools