LONDON, Sept 6 — Indie band English Teacher's debut album This Could Be Texas won the Mercury Prize making the quartet who formed while studying at the Leeds Conservatoire in 2020, the first act from outside London to win the prize since Young Fathers in 2014.
The album stood out “for its originality and character” and displayed a “fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format” according to judges, reported BBC.
Judges praised its “winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation”, and that it had a “subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly.
“This Could Be Texas reveals new depths on every listen — the mark of a future classic.”
In their acceptance speech, lead singer Lily Fontaine thanked her mother, for the artwork for the album, with the band otherwise seemingly lost for words.
“We didn’t really plan this far, What do we do now?”, she said.
The group were one of three acts from Leeds on the shortlist, alongside jungle artist Nia Archives and singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae.
Fontaine said the band owed their career to the encouragement they had received from local venues like the Hyde Park Book Club and the Brudenell Social Club, whose owner was thanked in the band's acceptance speech.
In its 31st year, the annual Mercury Prize — formerly the Mercury Music Prize — was held and and broadcast live from the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London to recognise the best album released by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Asked about the award's nine-year streak of rewarding Londoners, guitarist Louis Whiting said that, “It's kind of ridiculous.
“There's so much going on outside London. Plenty of places in the north have thriving scenes and produce amazing bands. It's crazy it's been going on for so long.”
Fontaine agreed saying that musicians from outside London did not really have the same opportunities, “but if you look back over music from this country, Yorkshire in particular has thrown out some of our most prolific songwriters.”
The Mercury Prize, comes with a cash prize of £25,000 (RM143,000).
This year's nominees included pop star Charli XCX with her club-centric, headline-grabbing Brat album; indie newcomers The Last Dinner Party for their debut Prelude To Ecstasy; Scottish dance act Barry Can't Swim; and East London rapper Ghetts.
Eight of the shortlisted albums were debuts, including the first solo album by Beth Gibbons, who won the prize 29 years ago as part of Portishead.
This year’s ceremony was held at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London and broadcast live on BBC Four and Radio 6 Music.
This year's event was scaled back after the the event lost its sponsor.
“Despite efforts to match up with a suitable new partner, in what is clearly a tough arts funding environment, we weren’t able to secure one within the timeframe,” said BPI chief executive Dr Jo Twist on behalf of organisers.
Artists self-nominate for the Mercury Prize, making it impossible to know whether acts who failed to make the shortlist were snubbed or simply declined to participate.
