The winner of the Mercury Prize 2024 has been revealed live from Abbey Road Studios on BBC Four and 6 Music.
English Teacher triumphed for their widely acclaimed debut album, This Could Be Texas. The Mercury judges hailed their “fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format”.
The band from Leeds were one of three Mercury-nominated acts this year signed to Island Records, who won the A&R trophy at the Music Week Awards.
Annie Macmanus and Huw Stephens hosted this year’s Mercury Prize TV coverage on BBC Four.
This Could Be Texas, which peaked at No.8, has sales to date of 14,109, according to the Official Charts Company. It can now expect a sales boost from the Mercury result.
Guest presenter, 6 Music’s Jamz Supernova, announced the overall winner on behalf of the judging team.
In a statement, the judging team said: “This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse and rich musical landscape. There was so much passion and enthusiasm for each one.
“In the end, though, we did agree that This Could Be Texas by English Teacher stands out for its originality and character. A winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation, alongside a subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly, displays a fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format. This Could Be Texas reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic.
“The Mercury Prize was set up to celebrate the album as an artistic format in its own right and all the judges agreed that this charismatic body of work deserves to be the 2024 Mercury Prize Album of the Year.”
Collecting the prize, English Teacher vocalist Lily Fontaine said: “We just thought we’d make a band.”
She and the band thanked various industry partners including their label and network of supporters in Leeds, such as Brudenell Social Club.
“My Mum did the artwork, so I want to say a special thanks to her, she’s amazing,” added Fontaine.
This Could Be Texas reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic
Mercury Prize judges
“English Teacher have produced an extraordinary album and we are all so delighted it has been recognised by the Mercury panel,” said Island president Louis Bloom. “We knew as soon as we heard the record that we had something truly special. This is why we have always been so focused on bands at Island because there is something magical about incredibly gifted musicians coming together and creating music and art that is so unique.
“The band have spoken about the Mercurys since day one and so it was really emotional to see how much it meant to them when they were announced as winners. This is why the Mercury Prize is so important to the UK music business because it‘s such a credible platform for artists who do things differently. It’s that eccentricity that the UK has always excelled at and is something we must continue to support and celebrate.
“I want to congratulate the team at Island whose love and commitment to the band has been unwavering and to their managers Alex and Pete, who have been amazing partners. And also massive congratulations to our other two nominees The Last Dinner Party and Nia Archives who have both made incredible albums this year.”
English Teacher’s win marks the fifth occasion Island has won the Mercury Prize (double winner PJ Harvey, Talvin Singh and Pulp were the previous winners for the label). Amy Winehouse, Yard Act, Ben Howard, Tricky, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mumford & Sons, Disclosure and Jessie Ware, among others, have all been shortlisted.
In total, Island have won the Mercury prize five times and secured 27 nominations, including three in 2024.
For the first time in the 32-year history of the Mercury Prize, there was no public awards ceremony and live performances were dropped.
Without a sponsor for 2024, organisers at the BPI worked with BBC Music on a broadcast-focused prize. Artists were invited to come together to watch each other’s recent recorded performances from across the BBC and celebrate each other’s work.
BBC 6 Music’s coverage, presented by Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant, included playing the English Teacher album out in full following the announcement.
Charli XCX’s Brat is the biggest selling of the 12 albums up for the Mercury Prize in 2024. Peaking at No.2, it has 128,769 sales to date (Official Charts Company).
The 12 Mercury Prize ‘Albums Of The Year’ are listed below:
Barry Can't Swim – When Will We Land? (Ninja Tune)
Berwyn – Who Am I (Columbia)
Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown (Domino)
Cat Burns – Early Twenties (RCA/Since ’93)
Charli XCX – Brat (Atlantic)
CMAT – Crazymad, For Me (AWAL)
Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows (Thirty Tigers)
Corto.alto – Bad With Names (New Soil/Marathon Artists)
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas (Island)
Ghetts – On Purpose, With Purpose (Warner Records)
Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud (Island)
The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy (Island)
Charli XCX, Corinne Bailey Rae and Ghetts have each been shortlisted once before for the Mercury Prize, while Beth Gibbons has won as a member of Portishead.
Recent Music Week cover stars Ezra Collective triumphed in 2023.
The 12 albums were chosen by an independent judging panel and recognise artistic achievement across a range of genres. Albums by British and Irish artists with a UK release date between July 15, 2023 and July 12, 2024 were eligible for the 2024 Prize.
A Mercury Prize 2024 collection is available on BBC Sounds, featuring Matt Everitt’s Pocket Guides to all 12 albums, plus two playlists.
Click here to read our interview with BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist on the changes to this year’s Mercury Prize.
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