One of the most noteworthy and hyped awards in music business given to the best album from the UK and Ireland, The Mercury, has been won by many artists who are not quite in the mainstream. There have been claims and stats revealed that winning will elevate the sales of the artist. Many groundbreaking albums have received it before (by Roni Size, Portishead, Primal Scream, Klaxons and Franz Ferdinand to name few).
But this time, the conservative side won (as the choice does not reflect groundbreaking) and my personal favorite (and everyone else’s according to bookies) Burial was left with just a title in the nominees list.
And Elbow? I’ve seen them rake in some praise from the critics but their videos have not convinced me yet. We’ll, it’s indie rock and it takes a little getting used to. Guess I should give it a go. Well, at least Radiohead didn’t win with their surprise attack on the internet.
Here’s the list of this year’s nominees:
Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle – Shine
Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
