Four-piece indie band English Teacher have won the 2024 Mercury Prize for their debut album This Could Be Texas.
The announcement was made by DJ Jamz Supernova during the award ceremony, which recognises the best British or Irish album of the year, at the Abbey Road Studios on Thursday evening.
They beat competition from the likes of pop singer Charli XCX, Irish singer CMAT, rising star Cat Burns, and indie outfit The Last Dinner Party.
Taking to the stage, the band members – who include guitarist Lewis Whiting, drummer Douglas Frost, bassist Nicholas Eden and vocalist Lily Fontaine – said thank you, with Fontaine giving a shout out to her mother, who she said did the artwork for the cover.
“My mum did the artwork so I want to say a special thanks to her, she’s amazing,” she said.
“That’s (the album cover) Cow and Calf Rocks in Ilkley. It’s beautiful and she painted that in the 1980s”.
DJ Annie Macmanus and Welsh radio presenter Huw Stephens presented the evening and introduced the pre-recorded performances from the 12 nominees.
The judging team said: “This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse and rich musical landscape. There was so much passion and enthusiasm for each one.
“In the end, though, we did agree that This Could Be Texas by English Teacher stands out for its originality and character.
“This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse and rich musical landscape. There was so much passion and enthusiasm for each one.
“A winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation, alongside a subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly, displays a fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format.
“This Could Be Texas reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic.
“The Mercury Prize was set up to celebrate the album as an artistic format in its own right and all the judges agreed that this charismatic body of work deserves to be the 2024 Mercury Prize Album of the Year.”
Among the acts nominated were Corinne Bailey Rae with Black Rainbows, CMAT with her second studio LP Crazymad, For Me and Charli XCX with her sixth studio album Brat.
Ahead of the ceremony Bailey Rae reflected on the opportunities for women in the music industry and said she was “interested in the voices of young girls”.
The 45-year-old told the PA news agency: “I think there’s definitely been a lot more change for women in the music industry.
“I think the questions that you get asked are different. I think the feeling of autonomy and the sense of power is different.
“I think there’s less exploitation, I think there’s more awareness from women and girls themselves of what’s possible, of what you’re allowed to say yes and no to.
“But that just has to increase, I think there’s still a really low amount of women actuall physically writing songs.
“You might see a female artist, but when you look through the credits there’s many people in the team, there’s not as many women in the songwriting teams then men.”
A slew of debut records also made the shortlist this year, including Early Twenties by singer Burns, Silence Is Loud by jungle artist Nia Archives, When Will We Land? by the Scottish DJ Barry Can’t Swim and Who Am I by rapper BERWYN.
Mobo award winner Ghetts, who stars in Netflix series Supacell, was also shortlisted for the record On Purpose, With Purpose.
Corto.alto’s Bad With Names was also nominated alongside The Last Dinner Party’s Prelude To Ecstasy and Lives Outgrown by Portishead singer Beth Gibbons.
Last year, Ezra Collective became the first jazz group to win the Mercury Prize, taking the prestigious music award with their second studio album Where I’m Meant To Be.
