Sheeran on Mercury list
LONDON: Ed Sheeran has been nominated for the Mercury Prize, the organisers of the music award said yesterday, putting the global singing star in competition with much less wellknown names.
Stormzy, Blossoms, J Hus, Dinosaur, The XX, Loyle Carner, The Big Moon, Kate Tempest, Glass Animals, Alt J and Sampha are the other nominees for the £25,000 ($NZ43,700) prize that will be awarded on September 14.
‘‘It’s a really broad snapshot of where music is now, in my opinion, be it mainstream or be it slightly left of centre,’’ Phil Alexander, editor of Mojo and Q music magazines, said of the award, which is meant to identify the best of the year from British and Irish artists, as judged by industry experts and musicians.
Sheeran’s latest album, Divide, topped the charts in the United States and Britain this year.
The Mercury Prize, seen as an alternative to the more mainstream Brit Awards, has sometimes been criticised for showcasing established artists rather than lesserknown newcomers.
‘‘Having kind of mainstream acts alongside more subversive ones — maybe that brings out the subversive ones more,’’ said Elliot Galvin, keyboard player in jazz band Dinosaur.
‘‘Why shouldn’t you be able to listen to Ed Sheeran and then also listen to Stormzy and then listen to Dinosaur?’’ he said. — Reuters