Mercury Prize Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Rina Sawayama has scored a major victory in getting eligibility rules changed for the BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize.The singer has campaigned heavily to have the rules changed for British solo artists at awards events and contacted the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).She wasn’t eligible to enter as a British artist under the current rules in last year’s Mercury Prize for her debut ‘SAWAYAMA’.

Rina Sawayama has built considerable critical acclaim since she first emerged, and her 2020 debut album Sawayama only continued that streak — it was even No. 14 on our best of the year list.

Michael Kiwanuka has won this year’s Mercury Prize for his latest album ‘Kiwanuka’. So that’s good, isn’t it? Good job it didn’t go to that one awful act on the shortlist or I would have been very cross.“I don’t even know what to say – I’m speechless”, said Kiwanuka after being announced as the winner.

Michael Kiwanuka has won the Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020 for his album ‘KIWANUKA‘.The most coveted prize in British and Irish music was awarded to the singer-songwriter in a live streamed ceremony on the The One Show on BBC One tonight (September 24) by Radio 1’s Annie Mac.Speaking on the show after his victory, Kiwanuka said: “I’m over the moon. I don’t have words to say, I’m so, so excited.

Michael Kiwanuka has won the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize for his album KIWANUKA.

Michael Kiwanuka has won the Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020 for his album ‘KIWANUKA’.The most coveted prize in British and Irish music was awarded in a live streamed ceremony on the The One Show on BBC 1 tonight (September 24) by Radio 1’s Annie Mac.He will collect the winner’s trophy and cheque for £25,000.Speaking on the show after his victory, Kiwanuka said: “I’m over the moon. I don’t have words to say, I’m so, so excited.

Michael Kiwanuka has won the 2020 Mercury Prize with his self-titled third album.

Lanterns On The Lake‘s Hazel Wilde has spoken to NME about their nomination for tonight’s Hyundai Mercury Prize. Watch our video interview above.The Newcastle band have scored their first Mercury nod with their acclaimed fourth album ‘Spook The Herd’ – which sees them employing their unique brand of atmospheric indie to dissect the hell-scape that we’re all living through.

2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize have seen significant increases in streaming and sales since the shortlist was announced in July.The annual ceremony is being held tonight (September 24), with Sports Team, Georgia, Charli XCX, Porridge Radio, Michael Kiwanuka, Dua Lipa, Stormzy and more all nominated.As Music Week report, every nominated artist has seen an increase in sales since the shortlist was announced.

Sports Team frontman Alex Rice tells NME of their plans for a potential celebration if they were to win this week’s Hyundai Mercury Prize £25,000 cash reward. “I always remember Wolf Alice when they won, they went to the Hawley Arms and celebrated there.

Hyundai Mercury Prize just a few days away, Porridge Radio‘s Dana Margolin has spoken to NME about the band’s fellow nominees and their plans for new music.

BBC Music has announced plans for a series of special shows across its network to mark the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize.The annual awards show, which honours the best in British music of the last 12 months, will not go ahead as normal given the coronavirus pandemic.Instead, this year’s Mercury Prize winner will be announced live on The One Show on September 24.

nominees for the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize will be celebrated as part of a special series of Tim Burgess’ Twitter listening parties next month.Ahead of the prestigious ceremony on September 24, a selection of acts will join Burgess and their fans in listening to their nominated record together, and sharing haring their memories of creating it.Listeners are also invited to ask questions and share their thoughts on each album using the official hashtag #TimsTwitterListeningParty.

Rina Sawayama has been in contact with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the organisation behind the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize, who have indicated that they are reconsidering their eligibility criteria.Earlier this week (July 29), Sawayama revealed that she wasn’t able to enter the Mercury Prize this year as she isn’t eligible to enter as a British artist under the current rules.

Pop star Rina Sawayama said she was left in tears after being told she is ineligible for two of the UK’s biggest music awards because she does not hold a British passport.

Rina Sawayama has spoken out against the current eligibility rules of major British music awards following the announcement of this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist.The Dirty Hit artist’s debut album ‘SAWAYAMA’ was a notable omission from the 2020 list of nominees for the annual prize, whose ceremony will take place in September.As well as many of the artist’s own fans, Elton John expressed his surprise that ‘SAWAYAMA’ missed out, writing on Instagram: “Unfortunately, not everyone gets to make

The list of nominees for the 2020 Mercury Prize has been revealed with Charli XCX, Stormzy, Dua Lipa, and Laura Marling all featuring on this year's list. The annual prize rewards one outstanding British album.

Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and Charli XCX’s How I'm Feeling Now are among 12 albums that are shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, which honors the best British albums released between July 20, 2019 and July 17, 2020. Other top contenders include Laura Marling

Laura Marling has shared a new stripped-back video for her track ‘Fortune’ – watch it below.The track is lifted from Marling’s new album ‘Song For Our Daughter’, which this morning (July 23) became her fourth album to be nominated for the Mercury Prize.Speaking of the Mercury nod, Marling says: “Releasing the record as the world turned itself upside down felt quite disconcerting. It still feels odd now, but in what has been such an unusual year, this comes as a nice surprise.

Stormzy has secured his second Mercury Prize nomination and will go head to head with artists including Dua Lipa, Laura Marling and Michael Kiwanuka.

Dua Lipa, Stormzy and Charli XCX leading the acts vying for the prestigious £25,000 prize.Lipa has been nominated for her acclaimed second album ‘Future Nostalgia’, while Charli XCX will compete with ‘How I’m Feeling Now’ – her fourth album which was recorded entirely during lockdown at her Los Angeles home studio.Stormzy’s nomination for ‘Heavy Is The Head’, his second album, also marks his first ever Mercury Prize nod.Other nominations for the award – which is considered to be the most coveted

The Weeknd and Caribou have been announced as nominees on the 2020 Polaris Music Prize longlist – check out the full run-down below.The annual awards ceremony celebrates Canada’s best full-length albums of the past 12 months.

The best albums of 2020 will get their chance to shine...