For nearly three decades, the awards’ shortlisted artists and winners have defined genres and paved the way for some of the world’s most exciting artists. Tom Thorogood explores how the prize continues to elevate the freshest of
British and
Irish talent
Three years ago Skepta stood on the Eventim Apollo stage in Hammersmith to collect the Hyundai Mercury Prize for his landmark album Konnichiwa.
At any other
music awards ceremony an unsigned rapper beating 11 other artists, including Radiohead and the late David Bowie, to the top prize would be unprecedented. But the Hyundai Mercury Prize isn’t like any other showbiz award show, where the winner is picked months in advance and the decision often has more to do with insider politics than artistry.