Mercury Prize 2009

[Perdita]

La Roux, Kasabian and Florence and the Machine are among this year's Mercury Prize nominees.

Bat For Lashes, The Horrors, Glasvegas and Friendly Fires are also on this year's list, which is voted for by a panel of critics and music industry workers.

The winner, which will be announced on September 8, takes home a £20,000 prize.

The list of contenders features the usual eclectic mix of acts with eccentric Jazz quintet Led Bib, art-rockers The Invisible and folk act Sweet Billy Pilgrim among the more unusual nominations.

Florence and the Machine and Kasabian have been installed as the early bookmakers' favourites by William Hill, with Sweet Billy Pilgrim as the 10/1 outsiders.

Doves (Kingdom Of Rust) and Lily Allen (It's Not Me, It's You), who were hotly tipped to make the list, miss out.

Previous winners have included Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, M People, Gomez and Franz Ferdinand. Manchester rock act Elbow took home the gong last year for their Seldom Seen Kid LP.

The full list of 2009 Mercury Prize nominations are:

Bat For Lashes: Two Suns

Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires

Florence and the Machine: Lungs

Glasvegas: Glasvegas

Lisa Hannigan: Sea Shew

The Horrors: Primary Colours

The Invisible: Invisible

Kasabian: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

La Roux: La Roux

Led Bib: Sensible Shoes

Speech Debelle: Speech Therapy

Sweet Billy Pilgrim: Twice Born Men

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a166459/la-roux-kasabian-lead-mercury-prize-list.html

[Bryan]

I really hope La Roux wins the award, but i have a feeling Florence + The Machine will win it, which wouldn't be a bad thing as their albumn is amazing also.

[Perdita]

South London rapper Speech Debelle has won this year's Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

The 25-year-old's debut album Speech Therapy beat off stiff competition from Florence and the Machine, La Roux and Kasabian to take home the prestigious prize.

She collected her £20,000 winner's cheque from host Jools Holland at a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

Earlier in the evening, Debelle performed 'The Key', a track from her winning album.

According to the Official Charts Company, Speech Therapy has sold fewer than 3,000 copies since its release in August. However, it is expected to experience a sales surge following its victory tonight.

Previous winners of the Mercury Prize, which is voted for by a panel of music industry executives and experts, include Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Pulp.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a176500/debelle-beats-florence-to-mercury-prize.html

[Abigail]

I've never heard of her :confused:

[Perdita]

I have not either, I must admit.

[Chris_2k11]

I've never heard of her :confused:


I have not either, I must admit.
I'll third that :D

[tammyy2j]

London born rapper Speech Debelle, has won the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize beating others like La Roux, Kasabian, Glasvegas and (bookies favourite) Florence + the Machine.

As well as her debut album "Speech Therapy" crowned 'Album of the Year', she also receives a cheque for £20,000. The Mercury Music Prize awards the best album from the UK and Ireland with 12 albums compete for one prize each year, and this is their 18th year.

:confused: never heard of her or him

[Perdita]

It is a 'she'

[sindydoll]

ive never heard of this award before

[Perdita]

It has been going for a few years now. This from Wiki:


The Mercury Prize, formerly called 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 British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers in 1992 as an alternative to the industry-dominated Brit Awards.[1] The prize was originally sponsored by Mercury Communications, a brand owned by Cable & Wireless,[2] from which the prize gets its name. It was later sponsored by Technics,[3] from 1998 to 2001, Panasonic,[2] in 2002 and 2003, and the Nationwide Building Society, from 2004 to 2008. Barclaycard became the Prize's current sponsor in March 2009.[4]

For more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Prize