English Teacher snagged the Mercury Prize for their album This Could Be Texas.
The Leeds band outshined Charli XCX, Beth Gibbons, Nia Archives, Berwyn, the Last Dinner Party, Barry Can’t Swim, Corinne Bailey Rae, Cat Burns, CMAT, Ghetts, and Corto.Alto to claim the top spot. This year’s award was unique because it didn’t feature a public ceremony due to no sponsors stepping up. The judges loved how the album mixed surrealism with social commentary and clever composition. Winning this prestigious prize also brought them £25,000 (about $33,000).
Ezra Collective won last year’s Mercury Prize as the first jazz group ever to do so.
Fans really love seeing new artists get recognized like this.
It’s interesting how sometimes unexpected things happen in music awards.
