UKNY for January 12

The BBC Sound of 2020 poll is an annual look at rising artists, chosen by a panel of 170 artists, DJs, journalists, festival bookers and industry tastemakers. This year's autumn's longlist of just 10 musicians gave way to a five-artist shortlist that was unveiled, day by day, over the past week. On tonight's "UKNY" at 11, we'll hear two of those selections: the first place winner Celeste and Dublin rockers Inhaler, who slid into fifth place. Celeste's supple, soulful pop has already earned the British-Jamaican singer and songwriter a raft of awards (including the BRITs' rising star honors and BBC Introducing's 2019 Artist of the Year accolades). Inhaler is fronted by Elijah Hewson whose yearning vocals recall the cri de coeur of Bono — not surprising since U2's Paul Hewson happens to be Elijah's dad. Past winners of the BBC's Sound Of poll include Adele, Michael Kiwanuka, Haim, and Corinne Bailey Rae.

In addition, new tracks from Cornershop (back with their first album in five years this March), The Big Moon (who released their second album, Walking Like We Do, on Friday), Sorry, electronic whiz kids Jon Hopkins and Kelly Lee Owens, Agnes Obel (playing Brooklyn's National Sawdust on January 16 and 17), and a beautiful, previously unreleased David Bowie track.

It's also the eve of the Oscar nominations, so a set inspired by one of my favorite movies of the past year, "Rocket Man," which cleverly flips the usual biopic timeline around to artfully tell the story of Elton John's life as he found fame and tumbled to sobriety, as well as his artistic partnership and friendship with Bernie Taupin.

Listen to "UKNY" from 11 p.m.-midnight every Sunday, on 90.7FM or streaming online, or catch up to it on-demand in the Weekend Archives.

Songs played:

1. Cornershop, “No Rock: Save in Roll,” England is a Garden
2. Sorry, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” 925
3. David Bowie, “The Man Who Sold the World [ChangesNowBowie version), “ David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? EP
4. Celeste, “Stop This Flame,” single
5. [Dublin, IE] Inhaler, “Ice Cream Sundae,” single
6. The Orielles, “Space Samba (Disco Volador Theme),” Disco Volador
7. Jon Hopkins and Kelly Lee Owens, “Luminous Spaces,” single
8. The Big Moon, “Your Light,” Walking Like We Do
9. Lanterns on the Lake, “Baddies,” Spook the Herd
10. [Denmark/Berlin, DE) Agnes Obel, “Broken Sleep,” Myopia
11. Taron Egerton, “Rocket Man,” Rocketman: Music from the Motion Picture
12. Yola, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Walk Through Fire expanded edition
13. Elton John, “I’ve Seen That Movie Too,” Goodbye Yellow Brick Road