Back in July, the shortlist for the 30th annual Mercury Prize was revealed, celebrating the 12 best British and Irish albums of the past year. The awards ceremony was originally scheduled for September 8 but, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the culmination of the 2022 awards will now take place today, 18 October. So here is a quick Mercury Prize 2022 refresher.
Three months on from the nominations, the event at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo, London, is bound to be a showstopper. And with anticipation to find out the winner kept high for an extra month, here are all the details you may have forgotten ahead of the big event.
When and where is the 2022 Mercury Prize?
Put simply, if you are not lucky enough to have a ticket, but want to get in on the action, BBC TV and radio channels are the place to be tonight. Square-eyed viewers should head to BBC 4 at 9pm to see the show unfold on the small screen, hosted by DJ Lauren Laverne. Whereas those that prefer to listen on the airwaves should tune into BBC Radio 6 Music from 7pm where host Tom Ravenscroft will be presenting a special Mercury Prize show, following the action and playing the winning album in full once it has been revealed.
That’s BBC 4 TV at 9pm, or BBC Radio 6 Music from 7pm.
Who are the nominees for the 2022 Mercury Prize?
Hoping to top off the celebrations by bagging the winning trophy, taking home the £25,000 cheque, and being the cream of this year’s crop of incredible artists are:
Fergus McCreadie: ‘Forest Floor’
In his third studio album, the Scottish Jazz pianist takes inspiration from his country’s green landscape. Displaying his truly impressive talent alongside bassist David Bowden, and drummer Stephen Henderson, McCreadie harks back to Scottish folk traditions for his contemporary jazz music that ranges from the upbeat ‘Law Hill’, to the peaceful and subdued ‘Morning Moon’.
Gwenno: ‘Tresor’
With the title meaning ‘treasure’ in Cornish, Gwenno’s third solo album is sung almost entirely in the Cornish language. Championing the parallel identities of overlooked communities in rural Cornwall and Wales, this ‘one-woman Celtic revival’ and her co-producer Rhys Edwards focus on the beauty of both landscapes. Some exceptions to the rule come in more politically charged lyrics, such as in the song ‘N.Y.C.A.W’, which is sung in Welsh and states ‘Wales is Not for Sale’.
Harry Styles: ‘Harry’s House’
There’s no surprise here, Harry Styles has been dominating the UK and US music scene, increasing his fanbase, but breaking away from his One Direction fame to take the west by storm. ‘Harry’s House’ has already won the MTV Video Music Award for Album of the Year, proving its popularity. Fans have speculated about the meanings of its more introspective and pensive music, but there is still much to dance about as he continues his ‘Love on Tour’, documented in thousands of feel-good TikTok videos showing everything from conga lines to coming out stories.
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler: ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
The Irish duo of singer-actor and ex-Suede guitarist are an excellent pairing for this album. The acoustic guitar mixed with Buckley’s powerful vocals give this album an effortless intensity not uncommon in dramatic film soundtracks. A rock/folk masterpiece leaning into Irish, English, American, and Spanish folk tradition, the loud laughter at the end of ‘Beautiful Regret’ feels like a tell-tale sign that the pair know this autumnal sounding collection is a good one.
Joy Crookes: ‘Skin’
Crookes’s debut solo album is well-deserving of place on this list. Although compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, Crookes has her own distinctive neo-soul style, building on such artists and creating an album that is extremely personal. She covers her Bangladeshi-Irish roots, South-London upbringing and enduring yet contemporary social issues such as family trauma, sexual violence, and gentrification. Yet her personal style is multifaceted, with tracks ‘Skin’ and ‘When You Were Mine’ transcending her experiences and taking on those of a listener who identifies with the versatile lyrics.
Kojey Radical: ‘Reason to Smile’
Another debut album making the shortlist comes from Kojey Radical. Coming from a career as a spoken word artist, Radical’s lyrical talent shines through, though Kyann-Sian Williams remarked for NME that he ‘can also enjoy a banger on a purely surface musical level’. Blending hip-hop, jazz and neo-soul, Radical conveys the black British experience at the forefront of the album. Notably, the tree-time MOBO nominated artist raps about imposter syndrome in the title song, collaborating with Tiana Major9. Referencing the same issue in his Instagram post acknowledging the nomination, Radical stressed that ‘good music isn’t about popularity. It’s about intent and purpose’.
Little Simz: ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Returning with their second nomination, Brit award winner for Best New Artist, Top Boy star, and Ivor Novello award winner, Little Simz has previously been criminally out of the music limelight. This most recent album seems to have brought a much-deserved level of fame and success, but this album needs more than a few short sentences to do it justice. Simultaneously introspective and outwardly political, Simz’s talent as a wordsmith results in an unexpectedly soul-bearing project at odds with its title. Her preference for self-expression over convention is clear in the contributions from Inflo’s production to Emma Corrin’s measured queen’s-English style speech. One question left unanswered, however: if she wins, will Little Simz bring her mother onstage once again to re-create an endearing Brits moment of celebration?
Nova Twins: ‘Supernova’
English rock duo Amy Love (vocalist/guitarist) and Georgia South (bassist) are nominated with their second full-length album ‘Supernova’. Taking to Twitter to react to the news, the pair were humble, writing: ‘To be the first black women to be shortlisted in Rock & Alt Music is a testament to all the women that pushed the scene forward before us, creating a space for us.’ Whilst pushing for a rock/alternative category as part of the Mobo awards, the album itself is powerful and witty, with a particularly catchy chorus of their most popular track ‘Cleopatra’ clear evidence for their firm establishment as one of the best albums of the year.
Sam Fender: ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Having sold out London’s Finsbury Park last summer for a gig of 45,000, this Geordie singer-songwriter has racked up Brit awards, NMEs and an Ivor Novello over the course of two albums. The second, ‘Seventeen Going Under’ is by far his most successful, reaching number 1 on the official UK charts and resulting in a huge tour and two sold out gigs at Newcastle’s St James’s Park stadium, scheduled for June 2023. Often rooted in his working-class upbringing in the north east, Fender’s emotive lyrics particularly advocate for men’s mental health, a cause which is he passionate about, and one cited as his reason to pause his most recent tour. Avoiding hypocrisy in his lyrical advocacy, the rock singer-songwriter and his band only seem to be increasing in popularity.
Self Esteem: ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
With perhaps the rawest reaction to her nomination Twitter has ever seen, Self Esteem wrote ‘I’m so glad I don’t have to think of a cute self-aware way to hide my disappointment this time’ in reaction to her Mercury nomination. Despite her relatable and downright hilarious social media presence, Self Esteem’s second album has brought increased recognition owing to its discourse on violence against women and marginalised genders. Encouraging women to be unashamedly themselves, leave that toxic ex behind and empowering women to prioritise themselves rather than succumbing to the expectation of putting others before themselves are at the centre. Surprisingly, such a serious and culturally relevant topic is not diminished by the upbeat and dancefloor worthy music surrounding the lyrics – giving the audience a good time and a lasting message. The best bit? She does all of this whilst being unashamedly herself, and in some standout outfits – think a dress made of boots advantage cards, or a Madonna style cone bra based off Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre.
Wet Leg: ‘Wet Leg’
Making earworms fashionable again, the line ‘On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue, on the chaise longue’ encapsulates the irresistible catchiness of Wet Leg’s self-titled album. The rest of the album, however, is more complex, seemingly immortalising the struggles of a quarter life crisis in song. Made up of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, the indie rock band from the Isle of Wight wrote: ‘We’re so freakin lucky that we got to make the album that we made. These past couple of years have been full of surprises and unexpected adventures.’ Could the winning the Mercury Prize be next in this list?
Yard Act: ‘The Overload’
Rounding off the nominations are a four-man rock band from Leeds. James Smith, Ryan Needham, Sam Shipstone and Jay Russell break into the nominees with their debut album, ‘The Overload’. Laden with mouthy, matter-of-fact, and politically charged lyrics, they utilise so-called ‘northern grit’ in their music. The album belongs to a trend of songs that seem to exist between speech and song, drawing attention to the state of the nation in a way that continues the legacy of post-punk and Britpop bands such as Blur and Pulp. As the self-confessed dark horses of the competition, Yard Act said it was ‘daft’ to be alongside the other artists, but noted ‘Gonna be on telly agin. Ace.’
What to expect?
The thirtieth anniversary of the Mercury Prize is one that will not disappoint. Confirmed to perform one song from their nominated albums live, are: Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Joy Crookes, Kojey Radical, Little Simz, Nova Twins, Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Wet Leg, and Yard Act.
Keen-eyed readers will have spotted that one huge name is missing from this list – Mr Harry Styles. Absent from the awards ceremony due to the US leg of his ‘Love on Tour’, Styles’s vocals and perhaps more famous dance moves will not be entirely left out. He is said to have filmed a live performance which will be shown in situ. So, whether live in on stage or live of film, all artists will be equally celebrated.
How are the nominees picked?
A panel of judges with unrivalled music expertise are responsible for producing the shortlist of 12 mercury nominees. This year, judges included author and DJ Annie MacManus, Hip-Hop musician and previous nominee Loyle Carner, and jazz-pop singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum. With their work cut out, the judges admitted that ‘getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from’. After what we all know to have been a turbulent few years, the standout artist were credited for having ‘something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways’.
Whilst it may be true that ‘British and Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history’, the winner will have big shoes to fill. They will be inheriting the top spot from Arlo Parks, who became one of the youngest winners for her debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’.
Debuting seems to be a continued theme this year, with all but one of the nominees seeing their names on the list for the first time. Only London-born artist Little Simz returns for a second time, after her album, ‘Grey Area’, was nominated in 2019.
It is safe to say that whoever joins the list of music British and Irish music greats by winning the prestigious mercury prize will be well-deserving of it. If you can’t quite wait for the show, you can listen to all of the shortlisted artists on one playlist thanks to Amazon Music, 2022 digital music partner.
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