The hosts for the Mercury Prize 2024 awards ceremony have been announced – find out more below.
- READ MORE: CMAT on the Mercury Prize – and more action being needed after her Latitude Israel boycott
Today (August 29), the Mercury Prize committee have announced the two hosts being tasked to lead this year’s awards ceremony. They have been revealed as DJ, broadcaster and author Annie Macmanus (also known as Annie Mac), and BBC 6 Music presenter Huw Stephens.
The news comes just a week ahead of the ceremony on September 5, which will be broadcast live from Abbey Road Studios for TV from 8pm until 9.15pm via BBC Four. It was previously confirmed that this year’s ceremony will not include its usual live performance element, and will instead see all 12 shortlisted artists attend the ceremony and watch their recent performances that were recorded for numerous BBC programmes.
Last week (August 22), the Mercury Prize committee also confirmed that the ceremony will be broadcast for radio through BBC Radio 6, presented by Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant. Matt Everitt will also be present to chat will all of the 12 shortlisted acts.
Here are the shortlisted artists for the 2024 Mercury Award Prize:
Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?’
BERWYN – ‘Who Am I’
Beth Gibbons – ‘Lives Outgrown’
Cat Burns – ‘early twenties’
Charli XCX – ‘BRAT’
CMAT – ‘Crazymad, for Me’
Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘Black Rainbows’
corto.alto – ‘Bad with Names’
English Teacher – ‘This Could Be Texas’
Ghetts – ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’
Nia Archives – ‘Silence Is Loud’
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’
CMAT, who is being nominated for for the acclaimed ‘Crazymad, For Me’ said in a chat with NME about the nod: “Of all the things that have happened this year, this feels the most important, special and surreal.”
“I’ve watched the Mercury Prize, listened to all the albums that get nominated and have followed it for years. I used to watch the stream as a teenager. I remember when Wolf Alice won: I was living in Manchester and it was really exciting. It’s weird to be here and be one of them. I feel like I’m in Miss America. It’s crazy.”
Last year, Ezra Collective clinched the coveted prize for their album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’. Speaking to NME ahead of their victory, Femi Koleoso said: “I feel like it’s just wonderful to be a part of something so big and so special. We’re just a small part of such a big picture.
“It’s been really exciting just to be hearing it played in so many different avenues and places, you know? To see people enjoying it and dancing to it – that’s all you can ask for really.” Following the victory, their album sales and streams also increased by nearly 900 per cent.
Little Simz won the award in 2022 for her album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’. To take home the award, the London rapper beat off competition from fellow favourites Self Esteem and Wet Leg among others.
Meanwhile, veteran Mercury Prize winner Roots Manuva recently had his Mercury Prize trophy returned after moving house and accidentally leaving it behind. Manuva – whose real name is Rodney Hylton Smith – took home the award at the 2002 ceremony for his album ‘Run Come Save Me’.