It’s megabucks if you’re a tiny indie label but obviously that gets returned with the 300% increase in sales and live exposure.
I don’t think Hyperdub would have put Burial forward if it weren’t fully hyped beforehand. Seth Lakeman’s label won’t have expected him to win and wouldn’t be rolling in megabucks either.
I’m sure @sean has written anecdotes here about Mercury consideration.
Whatever you think of Franz Ferdinand’s debut or I Am A Bird Now, I think The Zutons and Hard Fi almost won those two years apparently. Couple that with The Darkness, and that whole Mercury Curse thing could have had a lot more candidates.
2000 - Doves - Lost Souls
2001 - Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
2002 - David Bowie - Heathen
2003 - Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner
2004 - Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland
2005 - Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
2006 - Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
2007 - Amy Winehouse - Back in Black
2008 - Burial - Untrue
2009 - La Roux - La Roux
2010 - Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
2011 - PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
2012 - Jessie Ware - Devotion
2013 - Savages - Silence Yourself
2014 - FKA Twigs - LP1
2015 - Aphex Twin - Syro
2016 - David Bowie - Blackstar
That was quite tough. Of all the nominated albums in that period only Blackstar, Untrue and Let England Shake are truly great records.
But if you don’t let me shoot him, then we still have a world with Keane, Snow Patrol, The Zutons and Joss Stone in it! I’m doing it for the children.
Tell you what, I’ll pretend his train got delayed so he didn’t make it to the ceremony on time and missed all the action.
I wouldn’t argue with that in fact. The two albums I think are better (Untrue and Blackstar) didn’t win. Only Let England Shake can rival I’m a Bird Now as best winner.
2000 The Delgados The Great Eastern
2001 PJ Harvey Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
2002 David Bowie Heathen
2003 Struggling here, don’t really like any of them. Radiohead, at a push
2004 Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand
2005 Antony and the Johnson I Am A Bird Now
2006 Hot Chip The Warning
2007 Definitely nothing I like here
2008 BSP Do You like Rock Music?
2009 Nope
2010 Wild Beasts Two Dancers
2011 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins Diamond Mine
2012 Django Django Django Django
2013 Jon Hopkins Immunity
2014 East India Youth Total Strife Forever
2015 Aphex Twin Syro
2016 David Bowie Blackstar
2000 - Coldplay - Parachutes
2001 - *PJ Harvey - Stories from the City…
2002 - Seriously, can’t even pick anything from this year
2003 - Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
2004 - Snow Patrol - The Final Straw
2005 - Bloc Party - Silent Alarm / The Go! Team - Thunder Lightning Strike
2006 - Hot Chip - The Warning
2007 - Jamie T - Panic Prevention
2008 - Burial - Untrue
2009 - The Horrors - Primary Colours
2010 - Foals - Total Life Forever
2011 - James Blake - James Blake
2012 - Jessie Ware - Devotion
2013 - Jon Hopkins - Immunity
2014 - *Young Fathers - Dead
2015 - Jamie XX - In Colour
2016 - David Bowie - Blackstar