UKNY for September 3
Mercury Prize '23 nominated albums (collage by Laura Fedele for FUV)
The Mercury Prize, the prestigious annual music award given to the best British or Irish album of any genre, has been handed out since 1992 (the first winner was Primal Scream, for Screamadelica). And while there's always a bit of a kerfuffle over who has been nominated—and whose been ignored—it's still a event that can help an artist or band in multiple ways, from boosting recognition and album sales (although less so in this era of streaming) to investing the prize money, this year £25,000 or about $31,700, in future recording.
The 2023 Mercury Prize will be announced this Thursday, September 7, at London's Eventim Apollo via a concert celebration — and as is tradition for the past 10 years, tonight's "UKNY" at 11 p.m. will preview all 12 nominated albums.
This year's 12 shortlisted nominees run the gamut: there's hip hop (Loyle Carner, J Hus, Young Fathers), club-ready dance and electronic adventures (Jessie Ware, Fred Again), esoteric pop (Jockstrap), jazz and jazzy R&B journeys (Ezra Collective, RAYE, Olivia Dean) multi-genre experimental pop and rap (Shygirl), deconstructed Irish folk (Lankum), and lounge pop-rock courtesy of five-time Mercury Prize nominees Arctic Monkeys. Both Young Fathers and Arctic Monkeys have won the Mercury Prize in the past, while Loyle Carner, J Hus, and Jessie Ware have been nominated in prior years. Arctic Monkeys have tied Radiohead (who've never won) for the most nominations ever.
Which Mercury Prize nominee will be your pick as the 2023 winner? Listen to "UKNY," Sundays 11p.m.-midnight on 90.7FM, streaming online and in the Archives after broadcast.
Songs played:
1. Jessie Ware feat. Kokoroko, “Begin Again,” That! Feels Good!
2. Shygirl, “Firefly,” Nymph
3. Young Fathers, “Rice,” Heavy Heavy
4. Arctic Monkeys, “Perfect Sense,” The Car
5. Fred Again, “Delilah (pull me out of this),” Actual Life 3 (January 1-September 9 2022)
6. Jockstrap, “Greatest Hits,” I Love You Jennifer B
7. Ezra Collective, “Never the Same Again,” Where I’m Meant to Be
8. RAYE, “Ice Cream Man,” My 21st Century Blues
9. Loyle Carner, “Hate,” hugo
10. Olivia Dean, “Carmen,” Messy
11. J Hus feat. Jorja Smith, “Nice Body,” Beautiful and Brutal Yard
12. (Dublin, IE) Lankum, “Netta Perseus,” False Lankum
