- Title: Shortlist for the prestigious British music award announced
- Date: 27th July 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 27, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUDGE AND MUSIC ARTIST, ELLA EYRE, SAYING: "Um you know what. Initially when I was asked to do it I though 'Wow' it's quite a daunting thing. One because I don't really consider myself to be that much of an established artist yet, so who am I to have an opinion. Then also it's like 200 plus albums to listen to, that's a lot of listening and very eclectic different styles. And when I got into it I just really enjoyed it. That's the beauty of being a touring artist, that I've got a lot of time you know travelling on trains and planes and whatever and rather than sleeping I can listen to some albums and if anything, I found myself learning more from the artists that I wouldn't usually listen to than I did from people I would. And that if anything rather than being daunting was exciting to me. I was inspired. The whole process was exhausting but also very very rewarding I think."
- Embargoed: 10th August 2017 15:54
- Keywords: music alt-j Stormzy Ed Sheeran Mercury Music Prize The xx J Hus The Big Moon Blossoms Sampa Dinosaur Glass Animals Loyle Carner Kate Tempest
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK & VARIOUS UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK & VARIOUS UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA00D6RHTKY5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ed Sheeran has been nominated for the Mercury Prize, the organisers of the music award said on Thursday, putting the global singing star in competition with much less well-known names.
Stormzy, Blossoms, J Hus, Dinosaur, The XX, Loyle Carner, The Big Moon, Kate Tempest, Glass Animals, Alt J and Sampha are the other nominees for the 25,000-pound ($32,600) prize that will be awarded on Sept. 14.
"It's a really broad snapshot of where music is now, in my opinion, be it mainstream or be it slightly left of centre," Phil Alexander, editor of Mojo and Q music magazines, said of the award meant to identify the best of the year from British and Irish artists, as judged by industry experts and musicians.
Sheeran's latest album "Divide," topped the charts in the United States and Britain this year.
The Mercury prize, seen as an alternative to the more mainstream Brit Awards, has sometimes been criticized for showcasing established artists rather than lesser-known newcomers.
"Having kind of mainstream acts alongside more subversive ones - maybe that brings out the subversive ones more," said Elliot Galvin, keyboard player in jazz band Dinosaur.
"Why shouldn't you be able to listen to Ed Sheeran and then also listen to Stormzy and then listen to Dinosaur?" ($1 = 0.7658 pounds) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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