Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Screengrab via Youtube

Villagers and Bowie on Mercury Music Prize shortlist

It’s the second nomination for the Dublin-based indie-folk group, however Bowie is favourite to win for his comeback ‘The Next Day’.

‘AWAYLAND’ BY VILLAGERS has been announced as one of the 12 albums shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize, which names the best British or Irish album of the year.

It’s the second time on the list for the prestigious award for the Dublin group, fronted by Conor O’Brien; they also received a nod for their debut ‘Becoming a Jackal’ in 2010.

They face still competition on the night of the awards — due to take place in the Roundhouse in London on 30 October: David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys and Foals are the frontrunners to take the prize.

Announced back in January on Bowie’s 66th birthday, ‘The Next Day’ became one of the most hyped albums of the year when it was released in March. The iconic musician hadn’t released any new songs since 2003, and had made only sporadic appearances in public in recent years, leading to speculation amongst fans and industry experts that he had retired from music. Upon its release, it garnered four- and five-star reviews, with the New York Times calling it “Bowie’s twilight masterpiece”.

Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys and Foals, from Oxford, have the next best odds on at least one bookies’ site taking bets as of this evening. The Monkeys – who headlined Electric Picnic and the Glastonbury Festival this summer – are nominated for ‘AM’, which was released just this week. Singer Alex Turner has described the album as “like a Dr Dre beat, but we’ve given it an Ike Turner bowl-cut and sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster”. Foals are nominated for ‘Holy Fire’, which was released in February of this year.

The Mercury Shortlist in full:

  • Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’
  • David Bowie ‘The Next Day’
  • Disclosure ‘Settle’
  • Foals ‘Holy Fire’
  • Jake Bugg ‘Jake Bugg’
  • James Blake ‘Overgrown’
  • Jon Hopkins ‘Immunity’
  • Laura Marling ‘Once I Was An Eagle’
  • Laura Mvula ‘Sing To The Moon’
  • Rudimental ‘Home’
  • Savages ‘Silence Yourself’
  • Villagers ‘Awayland’

So far as we’re aware, no-one is taking bets on whether Bowie will turn up to accept his award, should he win.

Read: Have you read Paul Simon’s moving tribute to Seamus Heaney yet?

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
18 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
    Favourite Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:27 PM

    The guy asked for it, so what’s the issue?

    99
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cowboys Ted
    Favourite Cowboys Ted
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:29 PM

    I don’t know what to make of this.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Carey
    Favourite Joe Carey
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:32 PM

    This news is only about 4 days old.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute IrishGravyTrain
    Favourite IrishGravyTrain
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 1:47 PM

    Thats a disgrace Dan. Anyone ring Joe?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Del Haven
    Favourite Del Haven
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 2:54 PM

    Dan, that’s terrible, I hope everyone is ok.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan Waters
    Favourite Dan Waters
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:32 PM

    at a university’s student union S&M is now art, so 1970s

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall O Neill
    Favourite Niall O Neill
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:46 PM

    Did he call him a pansy, patsy or pussy?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Meagher
    Favourite Dave Meagher
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 3:50 PM

    Pony

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane from Harlequin
    Favourite Shane from Harlequin
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 1:31 PM

    These people have too much time on their hands.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Girl
    Favourite The Girl
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:37 PM

    Who’s Shia LaB…?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jax Maxwel
    Favourite Jax Maxwel
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:34 PM

    Not much of a video with no sound, not much of a video with sound either I would imagine.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Derek Walsh
    Favourite Derek Walsh
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 1:00 PM

    Imagine being in a lift with Shia LaBeouf and asking *him* to punch *you* in the face.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kirk Van Houten
    Favourite Kirk Van Houten
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:45 PM

    Your man’s accent is very annoying

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jho Harris
    Favourite Jho Harris
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 12:39 PM

    Have you got rid of your staff, who is Shia The Beef and why would anyone care what he thinks is art?

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Johnston
    Favourite Sean Johnston
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 3:25 PM

    Actor who culturally debased himself by agreeing to appear in more than one Transformers movie continues to beg the worlds artistic community for forgiveness.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy Ryan
    Favourite Paddy Ryan
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 5:57 PM

    For the money he was offered you’d have gotten Laurence Olivier to come back from the dead to star in it.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Radburn
    Favourite Paul Radburn
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 3:38 PM

    A kick in the b0ll0x would be more arty

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute An Observer
    Favourite An Observer
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 2:38 PM

    Sure….why not?

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tadgh Smith
    Favourite Tadgh Smith
    Report
    Feb 22nd 2016, 7:10 PM

    Meanwhile, in other news a picture of a Kitten on the internet today was adjudged to be “cute”.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds