Mercury Prize ceremony postponed following Queen Elizabeth’s death
Written by worldOneFm on September 9, 2022
The Mercury Prize ceremony was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The 96-year-old monarch passed away on Thursday (08.09.22) afternoon and shortly after the announcement was made at around 6.30pm, organisers made the decision to pull the plug on the event, although guests were already assembled.
Mercury Prize bosses said in a statement: “‘Tonight’s Mercury Prize event has been postponed at this time of great national sorrow. We know everyone involved in the Mercury Prize will understand.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family at this very difficult time.
“We will make an announcement regarding future arrangements as soon as we are able.”
Earlier in the day, the red carpet for the Mercury Prize with FREE NOW Awards Show at the Eventim Apollo in London had been cancelled after Buckingham Palace announced doctors were “concerned” for the queen’s health and had placed her “under medical supervision”, prompting her immediate family to make the trip to her bedside at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
Sam Fender, Wet Leg, Harry Styles, Little Simz, Self Esteem, Joy Crookes, Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler, Kojey Radical, Nova Twins, and Yard Act had all made the shortlist for this year’s award, and 11 of the acts had been due to perform live at the event.
Harry – whose LP ‘Harry’s House’ earned him his first-ever Mercury nod – was unable to perform live due to being on tour in the US, however, the ‘As It Was’ hitmaker pre-recorded a special performance “to celebrate” his record, which was due to be aired on the night.
The judging panel – which includes musicians Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum and Loyle Carner, and is chaired by Head of Music, 6 Music and Radio 2 Jeff Smith – commented on the selection for the Albums of the Year: “Getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from. That serves as proof that British and Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history, with the albums chosen covering everything from imaginative pop to pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock. We feel that these 12 amazing albums each have something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways. Now comes the really hard part… choosing only one overall winner.”
The 2021 Mercury Prize was awarded to Arlo Parks for her much-lauded debut studio album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’.
