#3

Criticisms of the award are perfectly valid but that 1am tweet is a bit embarrassing to be honest.

She’s been nominated before as she says so hardly overlooked in general.

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#4

@moderators - merge threads?

#5

Initial tweets have been deleted, with Nadine claiming she didn’t delete them.

Great artist, great album, but i think she’s taking these awards a little too seriously!

Fair play if The 1975 have been nominated - enjoyable album. Let’s see who else has been tomorrow.

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#6

Thunderbirdslaughing.gif

#7

I mean, it kind of is? It’s not like big commercial acts usually win, they just fill 1-2 of the shortlist slots (which you can certainly argue is pointless and denies other acts a chance)

#8

I mean isnt there literally a very financially prohibitive set of requirements on the part if the artist and the label in order to receive a nomination?

3 Likes
#9

There is a cost to enter an album, but think it’s £150 or so. Doesn’t sound too prohibitive, if so.

#10

The award is for the best British album of the year, when has it ever been the underdog award?

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#11

I mean obviously the 1975 are shite but that doesn’t give you the right to a nomination. There’s dozens of artists who are more little known that Shah and she’s been nominated before, she should be stepping aside for them if she feels so strongly about it.

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#12

Quite like the Nadine Shah album, haven’t heard her previous ones. Obviously the 1975 are Very Bad and don’t need a nomination at all, but would say it comes off a bit embarrassing to complain about your own album not being nominated as one of the best of the year, disappointing as it may be.

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#13

Should caveat that I am generally in favour of the Mercury Prize - over the past 10 years they’ve regularly picked a worthy winner (alt-j and Wolf Alice are the major exceptions I can remember) and the shortlists usually have at least 5-6 good albums.

The Nadine Shah album is good and I would have been happy if it was nominated but it’s not a criminal omission to these ears.

The 1975 album is good and I don’t see it as a problem if it’s been included.

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#14

Often think about Laura Mvula tweeting about how upset she was for not being nominated for a Brit award

#15

I sympathise on one hand because it’s really financially tough for artists of this level right now and must be frustrating seeing a band with infinite resources get an award nomination over you, particularly when a lot of Shah-sized acts tailor their whole album campaign around hopefully bagging a Mercury nomination.

But the awards have never been about underdogs. If the panel think the 1975 album is decent then that’s that.

2 Likes
#16

Looking at the recent winners and many shortlisted acts and the record labels they’re on, the requirements cannot be that prohibitive in terms of cost etc

#17

Nadine Shah has made good points but also made herself look like a bit of a mug. My personal choice of winner would be any of Girl Band, Beatrice Dillon or Lorraine James but would be perfectly happy with the likes of Michael Kiwanuka winning it. Just don’t let it be fucking Sports Team.

#18

I mean, this is the thing a lot of people struggle with – those are decent records but deep down I know none of them would have ever either a) entered or b) made the shortlist. I think artists in those genres and on that level simply don’t get nominated and/or think it’s worth entering (and probably both of those things feed into each other). Same with Blank Mass, Forest Swords, Dan Avery in the past few years all of whom made albums that could’ve or should’ve featured.

There’s a clear disconnect between what is actually put out across the UK industry and what appears on these shortlists and electronic and heavier rock are always the two big glaring omissions each year, sadly.

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#19

Biggest omission in recent years is Kathryn Joseph imo.
Don’t think Rock Action even bother anymore. SAY awards is free to enter and has an equally good prize iirc

#20

To be fair, although it’s explicitly the former, I think it’s fair to say it at least has a reputation of being the latter in the public consciousness

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#21

I think the other thing, if I was judging it, is that there’s £25k (I think) on the line for the winner…even if I truly thought The 1975 or Arctic Monkeys or Noel Gallagher deserved to win on merit, I couldn’t help but think I should plump for somebody who that money could make an actual difference to

#22

They’re specifically told not to do this and just it on the quality of album alone, apparently. I would be tempted to do it as well but ultimately, as people have said about Nadine’s tweet, it’s not a musician’s charity.