2020 Mercury Music Prize Nominees Female artists lead nominations for the first time
As we get closer and closer to September, we are finally treated to the announcement of the 2020 Mercury Music Prize nominees!
Female artists lead nominations for the first time
For the first time since the awards were instituted in 1992, female-fronted bands and female solo artists have outnumbered men on the shortlist for the 2020 Mercury Music Prize.
With the nominees being announced on the morning of the 23rd of July, the list consists of seven female artists and female-fronted bands – including artists such as Dua Lipa and Charli XCX – with the remaining entries being male artists. The list was announced on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show.
Contrasting 2019’s political lyrics and post-Brexit punk, this year we see a selection that focuses more on pop, which is a genre that the awards have tended to ignore for many years. However, UK rap continues to have a strong presence in the shortlist, with artists such as Stormzy and Kano returning as nominees in hopes of replicating the success of last year’s winner Dave.
The shortlist for the 2020 Mercury Music Prize awards is:
- Anna Meredith – Fibs
- Charli XCX – How I’m Feeling Now
- Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
- Georgia – Seeking Thrills
- Kano – Hoodies All Summer
- Lanterns On The Lake – Spook The Herd
- Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter
- Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka
- Moses Boyd – Dark Matter
- Porridge Radio – Every Bad
- Sports Team – Deep Down Happy
- Stormzy – Heavy Is the Head
You can read more in the special report by Mark Savage at the BBC here.
All of us at Tuneriver.com would like to wish all the artists the best of luck. We’re excited to find out who the winner will be – make sure to check out the 2020 Mercury Music Prize awards on the 24th September!
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