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PJ Harvey and Adele lead the2011 Mercury Music Prizeshortlist

Tue 19th Jul, 2011 in International News

The 2011 Mercury Music Prize shortlist has been announced and the bookies have immediately installed PJ Harvey and Adele as the favourites for the award at the short odds of 4/1.

PJ Harvey joins Radiohead as a four time nominee for the prize and she could be the first performer to win the Mercury twice if Let England Shake manages to repeat the success of her Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea album, which won the prestigious award a decade ago. Elbow are also in with a chance of becoming double winners as Build a Rocket Boys! the follow up to their 2008 Mercury winning record The Seldom Seen Kid, has earned the band a third nomination for the prize.

Rupert Adams from the William Hill bookmakers says that “This has been a year of musical excellence with these albums representing an eclectic range of styles from UK artists. “This quality is reflected in the closeness of the odds we’ve given to the 2011 Mercury Prize Albums of the Year – every album here could be a winner.”

You can catch several of the nominated acts when they tour Australia in the coming months – James Blake and Elbow at Splendour, Katy B at Parklife, and Ghostpoet at the newly announced música/TUMBALONG festival.

2011 Mercury Music Prize shortlist:

Adele 21 (Odds 4/1)
PJ Harvey Let England Shake (Odds 4/1)
Elbow Build a Rocket Boys! (Odds 5/1)
Tinie Tempah Disc-Overy (Odds 5/1)
Anna Calvi Anna Calvi (Odds 6/1)
Katy B On a Mission (Odds 6/1)
Metronomy The English Riviera (Odds 8/1)
Everything Everything Man Alive (Odds 8/1)
James Blake James Blake (Odds 8/1)
Gwilym Simcock Good Days at Schloss Elmau (Odds 10/1)
Ghostpoet Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam (Odds 10/1)
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins Diamond Mine (Odds 10/1)

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laserbear

laserbear said on the 20th Jul, 2011

the nominee's for this year's mercury music prize were just announced and are as follows:

adele – 21
anna calvi – anna calvi
elbow – build a rocket boys!
everything everything – man alive
ghostpoet – peanut butter blues & melancholy jam
gwilym simcock – good days at schloss elmau
james blake – james blake
katy b – on a mission
king creosote & jon hopkins – diamond mine
metronomy – the english riviera
pj harvey – let england shake
tinie tempah – disc-overy

anyone else think it's a major stitch up that wild beasts' smother (in my opinion, the best record of the year thus far) has been overlooked? any general inclusions/exclusions you would make?

Jestarrr

Jestarrr said on the 20th Jul, 2011

my money's on adele to win it, as much as i hate that woman. i despise her existence.

Stefan Beck

Stefan Beck said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I'm no Adele fan but it seems like there must be other people in the world truly worthy of despising.

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Tinie Tempah is way more despisable imo

humanracin

humanracin said on the 20th Jul, 2011

PJ should win, this isn't the brits or the grammys....

Jestarrr

Jestarrr said on the 20th Jul, 2011

perhaps despise is a bit strong but....

seriously, who has that much heartbreak in 21 years of living. her music is dull and depressing but she obviously has a great voice. i cant go to a club or turn on a radio nowadays without hearing her wailing about her miserable life. i do like hometown glory and rolling in the deep though, especially high contrast's remix

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

therat

therat said on the 20th Jul, 2011

PJ Harvey!!

Is Elbow nominated every year?

JackT

JackT said on the 20th Jul, 2011

True re. Wild Beasts. Ugh, Tinie Tempah. Good to see they didn't feel the need to nod to Jamie Woon.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Adele is probably the best true talent in pop right now. 21 is a great record.

Fuck Elbow in their boring middle-aged faces.

Stefan Beck

Stefan Beck said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I must have missed the news report about Beyonce dying.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Adele makes good albums, Beyonce can't.

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I imagine it would have been in some sort of gyro-booty related incident.

MilkySheep

MilkySheep said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Pretty weak year for the Mercury, last year was very strong from memory.

Adele will probably win it, but I wouldn't mind Katy B getting up.

Stefan Beck

Stefan Beck said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I'll be shocked if Adele doesn't win.

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo said on the 20th Jul, 2011

95 was the best year for the mercury award imo

grattan

grattan said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I'll be shocked if she does. The Mercury usually tries to award a newer less known act for a debut album.

I'd hazard a bet on Anna Calvi.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Dy-nah-mite-tee-heeeee

daverh

daverh said on the 20th Jul, 2011

Feel you on Calvi, Tom. Though I'd like to see Metronomy get it. Theirs might be my fave record of the year thus far.

luxembourgerqueen

luxembourgerqueen said on the 20th Jul, 2011

yes, smother definitely should have been included.

also it would have been nice to see the horrors shortlisted as well as arctic monkeys and the vaccines.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 20th Jul, 2011

first time radiohead have missed out on a nomination since OK Computer. not surprised considering what else has missed out.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I couldn't find the cut-off dates for the Mercury Prize, but maybe there is a potential that Wild Beats could be included next year.

I'd assume an award that announces nominations in July would also allow albums from the second half of the previous year. Otherwise half the albums released would never be eligible.

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 20th Jul, 2011

yeah i guess my statement was poorly worded. what i meant is that considering that an album like Smother missed out, an album of the quality of TKOL never really stood a chance.

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I knew what you meant, I was just being a knob.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I couldn't find the cut-off dates for the Mercury Prize, but maybe there is a potential that Wild Beats could be included next year.

I'd assume an award that announces nominations in July would also allow albums from the second half of the previous year. Otherwise half the albums released would never be eligible.

last year was July 14th 2009 to July 12th 2010.

year before was 15th july 2008 to 13 july 2009

Smother was released in the UK on May 9. so well within the eligibility dates.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 20th Jul, 2011

I had a little look last night at when this year's nominees released their albums.

It seemed highly concentrated on albums released between January and March 2011. I wonder how previous years compare?

Maybe if your album is released in the second half of the year or in the couple of months leading up to the nominations, you've got less chance of being nominated. It could just be coincidence but the list seems to be quite focused on albums that have been around a while so people are well aware of them but are still new enough to be fresh in people's minds.

grattan

grattan said on the 27th Jul, 2011

Bring Me the Horizon pissed off that they weren't nominated - "We're really disappointed we haven't been nominated. It's certainly time for a heavy band to be nominated, or to even win this award. Heavy music is slowly creeping into the mainstream. It seems to be more acceptable to like this kind of music. We believe we've made a great album. It's not fair that it's always some indie band that gets nominated or wins it. Where's our recognition?" (from Kerrang)

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 28th Jul, 2011

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 28th Jul, 2011

Ha, BMTH are scum. I'm very glad they weren't nominated.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 28th Jul, 2011

Maybe when 15 year olds take over the world, BMTH can win the Mercury Prize.

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 28th Jul, 2011

This bitching is totes un-br000tal of them.

therat

therat said on the 28th Jul, 2011

How about make the best "heavy" album in the UK first then worry about being nominated, twats.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 29th Jul, 2011

is Adele the biggest music star in the world at the moment? bigger than Lady Gaga?

her album 21 has sold close to 9 million copies in less than 6 months an incredible achievement in this illegal downloading age. no album has sold more than 10 million copies in one year since Usher's Confessions back in 2004. with 5 months left in the year, i wouldn't be surprised to see Adele's album pass that mark. add to that her debut album which has sold several million worldwide since its 2008 release.

her single Someone Like You has spent 5 consecutive weeks at No.1 in australia. while Rolling in the Deep spent 7 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts. like most of you i'm not a big fan of commercial success (can't believe that Party Rock Anthem spent 10 weeks at No.1) but going by her Mercury Prize nomination amongst other critical acclaim she sits well with the music aficionados.

she would have to be the most tolerable, if not most impressive pop superstar we've had in a very long time.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 29th Jul, 2011

I see you've been taking a class on press releases.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 29th Jul, 2011

yeah it's a pre-requisite to taking your class on talking bullshit.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 29th Jul, 2011

Sick burn. I think 1,876/2,000 people have tried that one before, wanna check the records?

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 29th Jul, 2011

oh dude did you have to ruin the fun by posting something that makes no sense whatsoever.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 29th Jul, 2011

What, like you did just now?

grattan

grattan said on the 3rd Sep, 2011

Everyone has to have a national music prize now - the nominees for the Welsh Music Prize:

Al Lewis – 'In The Wake'
Colorama – 'Box'
Funeral For A Friend – 'Welcome Home Armageddon'
Gruff Rhys – 'Hotel Shampoo'
Lleuwen – 'Tan'
Manic Street Preachers – 'Postcards From A Young Man'
Stagga – 'The Warm Air Room'
Sweet Baboo – 'I’m a Dancer/Songs About Sleepin''
The Blackout – 'Hope'
The Gentle Good – 'Tethered for the Storm'
The Joy Formidable – 'The Big Roar'
Y Niwl – 'Y Niwl'

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 3rd Sep, 2011

Love the Joy Formidable, haven't really listened to the rest.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 3rd Sep, 2011

Any award that seriously considers The Blackout as a contender doesn't deserve to be called an award.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Mercury to be announced in a few hours.

Who Should Win : PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Who Will Win : S/T - James Blake

7am Sydney time for those interested.

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo said on the 6th Sep, 2011

I really didnt enjoy Let England Shake as much as i thought i would

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 6th Sep, 2011

i haven't heard that much PJ Harvey so i didnt have much to compare with.

has anyone here heard every record on the list? i've only heard 5 so i'm not entirely qualified to judge really.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 6th Sep, 2011

PJ Harvey is amazing.

This will probably go to an act on the list that no-one has heard of.

grattan

grattan said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Lotsa huge Gwilym Simcock fans on these boards. I'm sure they'll pipe up soon.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 6th Sep, 2011

PJ Harvey is amazing.

This will probably go to an act on the list that no-one has heard of.

i really don't understand why people say that about the mercury's. it has happened once in the last 10 years and now suddenly it has a reputation for giving the prize to randoms?

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Twice. Speech Debelle and Ms. Dynamite.

grattan

grattan said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Not randoms so much - just debut records.

Of the 19 Mercury awards given out so far only 5 (PJ, Elbow, M People, Primal Scream and Pulp) haven't gone to first records.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Not randoms so much - just debut records.

Of the 19 Mercury awards given out so far only 5 (PJ, Elbow, M People, Primal Scream and Pulp) haven't gone to first records.

yeah i'm with you there. which is why i think James Blake will win even though PJ Harvey deserves it.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Ghostpoet > James Blake

cmooooon Ghostpoet

Jose Cuervo

Jose Cuervo said on the 6th Sep, 2011

Yeah i must say i am enjoying this Ghostpoet one

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 7th Sep, 2011

Let England Shake won.

Good on her.

grattan

grattan said on the 7th Sep, 2011

Go Peej - http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/29962/PJ-Harvey-wins-the-2011-Mercury-Award

grattan

grattan said on the 23rd Oct, 2011

Everyone has to have a national music prize now - the nominees for the Welsh Music Prize:

Al Lewis – 'In The Wake'
Colorama – 'Box'
Funeral For A Friend – 'Welcome Home Armageddon'
Gruff Rhys – 'Hotel Shampoo'
Lleuwen – 'Tan'
Manic Street Preachers – 'Postcards From A Young Man'
Stagga – 'The Warm Air Room'
Sweet Baboo – 'I’m a Dancer/Songs About Sleepin''
The Blackout – 'Hope'
The Gentle Good – 'Tethered for the Storm'
The Joy Formidable – 'The Big Roar'
Y Niwl – 'Y Niwl'

And the winner is... Gruff Rhys – 'Hotel Shampoo'.