(London) English post-punk band English Teacher won the prestigious British Mercury Prize on Thursday night for their debut album. This Could Be Texasin a small ceremony at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.
This group from Leeds (north of England) won against the favorite Charli XCX, sensation of the summer with her hyperpop album Brat. ” This Could Be Texas reveals new depths with each listen: this is the mark of a future classic,” the jury justified.
Formed in 2020 by four musicians who met on the benches of the Leeds Conservatoire – Lily Fontaine, Lewis Whiting, Douglas Frost and Nicholas Eden – English Teacher is still relatively unknown to the general public. Its first success, the rock title R&Bwas released in 2021.
“We didn’t plan on going this far,” the members said as they took to the stage, amazed. “We’re just a band!” […] “What do we do now?” asked singer Lily Fontaine incredulously.
Released in April, This Could Be Texas stood out for its “originality and character”, “a winning blend of surrealism and social observation”, which embodies a “new approach to the traditional format of the indie-rock or punk group with guitars”, the jury stressed.
English Teacher thus won a prize of 25,000 pounds (nearly 30,000 euros, or 45,000 Canadian dollars), at the end of a ceremony broadcast on the BBC and organized without live performances due to a lack of sponsors to finance this year, which caused disappointment for many fans.
This 2024 selection was particularly feminine with eight women out of the 12 artists in the running, and open to young talents with eight artists nominated for their first album.
Other finalists included pop star Charli XCX, whose opus Brat Neon green set the tone for a festive and chaotic summer, Portishead singer Beth Gibbons with her debut solo album Lives Outgrownor the soul singer revealed in the 2000s, Corinne Bailey Rae, in the running with Black Rainbows.
Among the young female talents, jungle music producer Nia Archives (Silence is Loud), London musician Cat Burns (Early Twenties), one of the rock revelations of the year The Last Dinner Party (Prelude to Ecstasy), and Irish pop star CMAT (Crazymad, for Me).
The Scottish jazzman corto.alto (Bad With Names), Glasgow producer Barry Can’t Swim (When Will We Land?), the pioneer of grime rap Ghetts (Purpose, With Purpose), and rap poet Berwyn (Who Am I) complete the 2024 vintage.
Last year, Ezra Collective became the first jazz group to win the Mercury Prize with Where I Meant to BeThe London-based Afrobeat-influenced collective are now set to release a new album and will perform to a sold-out crowd at Wembley Arena in November.
Established in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards, which take place in early March, the Mercury Prize honours the British or Irish album of the year, selecting both established artists and emerging talents from all musical genres.
Awarded by demanding British producers, DJs and musicians, it has recently served as a springboard for young singers such as Arlo Parks and Little Simz, and had previously crowned artists such as PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys and The xx.