English Teacher revealed as winner of Mercury Prize 2024 with This Could Be Texas
The English Teacher has been named the recipients of the prestigious Mercury Prize for their first album, titled This Could Be Texas.
The band from Leeds, consisting of Douglas Frost, Lily Fontaine, Nicholas Eden, and Lewis Whiting, were moved as they won the highly respected award. They triumphed over other contenders such as Charli XCX's Brat, Irish artist CMAT, rapper Ghetts, up-and-coming singer Cat Burns, and the indie group The Last Dinner Party.
Fontaine expressed gratitude towards her mother for designing the artwork for the album while accepting the band's award. "I'm at a loss for words, to be honest," she shared with Sky News after leaving the stage. "It still feels surreal to me."
"It's truly incredible," Whiting exclaimed.
This year, the Mercury Prize ceremony was held at Abbey Road Studios in London instead of the usual location at the Hammersmith Apollo.
This award is highly coveted by British and Irish musicians, as it is solely focused on the excellence of the music, according to Fontaine.
When we create an album, it becomes our entire world. The project consumes us completely. As an artist, receiving recognition for the quality of our work is truly meaningful.
She said it would be fantastic if the album could evoke strong emotions in people.
"We packed a lot of content into it," Frost mentioned. "I am thrilled about the thought of listeners revisiting it and uncovering new elements that they enjoy. There's always a chance for a new favorite song to emerge."
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The judges found it difficult to choose a winner from the 12 shortlisted albums, as they all represented the diverse and vibrant musical scene. However, they ultimately decided that This Could Be Texas stood out for its unique qualities and personality.
They said it was a great combination of surrealism and social commentary in the lyrics. They also admired how the music incorporated new ideas without being too flashy. And they found the band's take on the traditional guitar band sound to be unique and refreshing.
They also mentioned that it uncovers fresh layers with each play, proving it has the potential to become a beloved classic in the future.
The 12 albums that made it to the shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2024
The list of new albums for this year featured eight first-time releases. Among them were Early Twenties by Cat Burns, Silence Is Loud by Nia Archives, When Will We Land? by Barry Can't Swim, Prelude To Ecstasy by Last Dinner Party, Bad With Names by corto.alto, and This Could Be Texas.
The singer who was in the band Portishead before, Beth Gibbons, was awarded a prize for the first album of the band, Dummy, in 1994. This year, she was also nominated for the first time for her solo album, Lives Outgrown. Another artist, Berwyn, earned his second nomination, but it was his first for an album. Last year, he made history by being the first artist ever to be nominated for a mix tape.
Berwyn, who came to London from Trinidad when he was young, expressed his happiness and comfort at being named on the list for the second time with his project Who Am I. He emphasized that it is not just an album, but a documentary as well.
Other contenders for the award were CMAT, who was nominated for the first time for her second album, Crazymad, For Me. Additionally, Charli XCX, Ghetts, and Corinne Bailey Rae each received their second nominations this year.
English Teacher will be joining a prestigious list of past winners such as Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Michael Kiwanuka, Dave, and Wolf Alice in 2023.
In 1992, Primal Scream's Screamadelica was the first to win the award. This prize honors music by British and Irish artists, both established and emerging, by acknowledging the 12 best albums of the year. It has the potential to bring lesser-known artists into the spotlight.
Some of the most well-known albums in music history include Pulp's Different Class, Dizzee Rascal's Boy In Da Corner, and Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. These albums have gained significant recognition and praise over the years.
Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys are the top acts with the most nominations, with each being nominated five times. However, only Arctic Monkeys have actually won an award. In addition to their band nominations, both Alex Turner and Thom Yorke have received separate nominations for their side projects, The Last Shadow Puppets and Thom Yorke's solo debut.
PJ Harvey is the artist that has received two awards out of four nominations, making her the only one to achieve this feat so far.
The 2024 event was led by Annie Mac, a broadcaster and writer, and Huw Stephens, a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music. The panel of judges featured Danielle Perry, a broadcaster and writer, Jamie Cullum, a musician and BBC Radio 2 host, Jamz Supernova, a DJ on BBC Radio 6 Music, MistaJam, a DJ and broadcaster, and Will Hodgkinson, a rock and pop critic at The Times.
Albums released in the UK between July 15, 2023 and July 12, 2024 were able to be considered for this year's awards.
