In the last two years, the Mercury Prize has gone a bit weird. It’s now held in a mega venue with celebs among the judges, and really massive people get on the shortlist, who don’t need another award. It’s more like the Brits.
One of the upsides of this is that everyone looks happy – it’s now a pre-requisite to look happy at the Mercurys. This change from diffidence to showbiz pride began in 2015 when Benjamin Clementine made the awkward decision to drag all the other winners up on stage with him.
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