The Mercury Prize awards are next Thursday, 14 September, and while we still don’t know who the winner is — obviously — we at least have word on who’ll be playing and presenting music’s biggest night out.
Last year’s winner Skepta will be gracing the stage with his gold medal presence, alongside an impressive line up of this year’s hopefuls: Stormzy, Sampha, J Hus, Loyle Carner, Alt-J, the xx, Blossoms, Dinosaur, Glass Animals, Kate Tempest, and The Big Moon. Any inevitable nerves will be soothed by the sweet, calming voice of actor Idris Elba, who’s just been announced as the host of the event.
Regardless of who wins, just making the shortlist is an achievement itself. As the panel (which includes Jamie Cullum, Jessie Ware, Ella Eyre, Marcus Mumford and Mojo editor Phil Alexander) said in a statement, “This year’s Hyundai Mercury Prize shortlist celebrates the remarkable power of British music. What these artists have in common is an infectious pleasure in music making and an arresting sense of urgency about the music they make. They delight in exploring musical possibilities and refusing to be pinned down by genre conventions”.
See you there.