English Teacher Take Out 2024 Mercury Prize

The Leeds-quartet won the award for their debut album, This Could Be Texas.

Image via @EnglishTeacherBand (Facebook)

Britain’s top music award, the Mercury Prize, was awarded to newcomers English Teacher for their debut album, This Could Be Texas.

The Leed’s collective was announced as the winner of the 2024 Mercury Prize during a ceremony broadcast live from Abbey Road Studios last night (September 5). They beat out a star-studded list of performers, including The Last Dinner Party, Nia Archives, Charli xcx and Ghetts.

The band, comprising vocalist and guitarist Lily Fontaine, lead guitarist Lewis Whiting, bassist Nicholas Eden and drummer Douglas Frost, formed in 2020 and have quickly gained a large following thanks to their engaging indie rock tunes, with This Could Be Texas receiving universal acclaim from music critics.

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The judging panel – made up of musicians, broadcasters and industry experts – had this to say about English Teacher’s win: “This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse & 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 & character. 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.”

Last year's Mercury Prize was won by Ezra Collective for their incredible album, Where I'm Meant To Be. You can check out the full list of nominees for the 2024 Mercury Prize below.

2024 Mercury Prize Albums of the Year nominations:

Barry Can't Swim – When Will We Land?

BERWYN – Who Am I

Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown

Cat Burns – early twenties

Charli xcx – BRAT

CMAT – Crazymad, for Me

Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows

corto.alto – Bad with Names

English Teacher – This Could Be Texas

Ghetts – On Purpose, With Purpose

Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud

The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy

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