Corinne Bailey Rae has reacted to her recent Mercury Prize nomination.
It was announced last week that the British singer’s 2023 album Black Rainbows has been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious award.
“I’ve been nominated for this prize before,” Corinne told NME in a new interview. “To me, it’s all about being on the list. No one is desperately hoping they win; they’re just really happy to be chosen out of hundreds of records.”
The Mercury Prize promotes music by British and Irish artists and recognises the 12 best albums of the year, as chosen by an independent panel of judges.
The Put Your Records On hitmaker noted that she has served as one of the judges in the past.
“I’ve been a judge on this prize twice so I know what it is: it’s 10 people arguing to get it down to 12 artists,” she stated.
“We were just all looking for something to grab us,” the 45-year-old continued. “You know it’s not all about genre, or the new artists, or the artists that have been here before. It’s about what they’re saying, how they’re saying it and looking for something new.”
Other nominees for this year’s award include Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party, Cat Burns, English Teacher, Barry Can’t Swim, Beth Gibbons and Ghetts, among others.
Elsewhere in her interview, Corinne noted that this year’s shortlist “feels quite gender-balanced and it’s nice to see more Black and Brown people.”
The singer also revealed which of this year’s nominees, apart from herself, she thinks could win the award.
“I really love English Teacher. I saw Lily (Fontaine, frontwoman) perform a solo thing in Leeds,” she said. “That was really clever, funny and arresting. I’m glad that their voice is in the mix on this prize.”
This year’s winner will be announced in September.
