The Mercury Prize was awarded tonight to English Teacher, the alternative rock band from Leeds, for their debut ‘This Could Be Texas’. It is of course, and as is often remembered, the most prestigious music prize in the United Kingdom, having been awarded in the past to artists such as Primal Scream, Portishead, Franz Ferdinand, The xx, PJ Harvey, James Blake and Michael Kiwanuka.
English Teacher is a band formed in 2020 and consisting of vocalist Lily Fontaine, guitarist Lewis Withing, drummer Douglas Frost and bassist Nicholas Eden. Among their most popular songs are ‘The World’s Biggest Saving Slab’ and ‘R&B’, both written in a style that has been compared to groups such as Black Country, New Road or Squid. The (good) reviews of English Teacher also highlight the social component of their lyrics.
‘This Could Be Texas’ has sold nearly 13,000 copies in the UK, reaching number 8 in the Official Albums Chart. By relying on guitars, English Teacher have become the latest Mercury Prize winner to have seen their popularity decline; this year they did not even have a sponsor and the ceremony was held without live performances. Annie Mac, the co-presenter, described it as an “intimate” gala.
Charli xcx was in the running for the Mercury Prize with what is becoming the most talked-about album of 2024. However, Charli was unable to attend the ceremony. Also in the running for the award were Beth Gibbons, The Last Dinner Party, CMAT, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ghetts, Barry Can’t Swim, Berwyn, Nia Archives and corto.alto. This year, the Mercury jury decided to praise rock, a decision that has been unusual in recent years; the last time the prize was awarded to a guitar band was with the victory of Wolf Alice in 2018, six years ago.
The reasons for the Mercury Prize’s decline in popularity may include the consolidation of streaming, at a time when audiences no longer require the selective work of an awards ceremony; or perhaps, one can also speak of a certain lack of risk and innovation in current productions. In 2023, the Mercury bet on jazz by awarding the prize to Ezra Collective… but few remember that anymore. ‘Where I’m Meant to Be’ returned to the British charts at number 30 after its victory, but then collapsed. In other words, the Mercury has lost its commercial effect. Will we remember English Teacher in a few years?
