BBC 4 and BBC Radio 6 Music are set to provide exclusive coverage as usual. However, in a huge change this year we will see something different as the traditional ceremony that normally takes place in September to reveal the winner at the Hammersmith Apollo is set to be dropped. According to Music Week the Mercury Prize is switching from the usual ceremony in favour of “other promotional activity”.

More details are set to be announced closer to when the winner is revealed but there will definitely be no ticketed public event for this year’s prize for the first time in the 32 years it has been running.

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In a statement, Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of the BPI, home to the Mercury Prize, said: “For the 2024 Mercury Prize we will work imaginatively with the BBC to deliver a premium programme of music content and digital engagement that will, as ever, benefit all 12 artists in reaching a wider audience, providing an important platform for their evolving career and musical journey.”

The 12 records that are nominated for the award are chosen by an independent judging panel and recognise albums from a large variety of genres. Last year the winners of the award were London band Ezra collective who were the first jazz artist to ever win the prize. Other nominees for 2023’s award included Fred Again, Loyle Carner, Raye, Young Fathers, and the Arctic Monkeys.

Dr Jo Twist continued talking about this award saying that “The Mercury Prize is a cherished part of our cultural landscape, celebrating the art of the album and recognising the exceptional creative achievements of diverse British and Irish artists across the many different genres that make up our thriving and global-facing music scene.

“We are delighted to deepen our relationship with our long-term partner BBC Music to promote the Prize across its networks, including its national broadcast and digital channels, to ensure the greatest possible impact and profile as part of a wider campaign to support the artists who produced the 12 albums of the year.”

The Judges for this year’s award include, broadcaster and writer Danielle Perry, singer and radio 2 presenter Jamie Cullum, Jeff Smith who is the head of music at BBC Radio 2 and 6 music and he is the chair of the judging panel, Creative director of Kerrang! Phil Alexander, Will Hodgkinson who is the chief rock and pop critic at The Times, and more.

Label investment through A&R is driving success for new UK artists

A&R and marketing spend represented 39% of label revenues last year

Labels A&R spending grew nearly 2 and-a-half times faster than their revenue over the past 5 years

A&R spend was 106.6% more in 2021 than 2016 pic.twitter.com/NO7mGHMBo8

— BPI (@bpi_music) August 11, 2022

106.6% more money was spent on A&R in 2021 than it was in 2016 (£173.3 million), which includes artist advances, the cost of new recordings, video production, and tour support. UK labels’ total revenue income climbed by 42.9% over the same five-year period to 2021, mostly due to a 51.3% increase in streaming revenue. This indicates that labels’ A&R investment accounted for 28.4% of their overall revenues and that labels’ A&R spending increased at a rate that was roughly 2.5 times faster than their revenue growth.

The BPI states that “The almost half a billion pound annual investment record labels make in A&R and artist marketing is crucial in enabling them to discover, sign, develop and break new artists, create new music, fund and provide artistic and creative support and direction, organise tour support and provide other supporting services such as marketing, promotion and PR.”

They go on to say that the investment has been crucial “in developing the international careers of British talent such as Arlo Parks, Dua Lipa, George Ezra, Glass Animals, Griff, Joel Corry, Joy Crookes, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel, PinkPantheress, Rag’n’Bone Man, Sam Fender, Tom Grennan and Wolf Alice, to name just a few”. Making the UK number two in the world in music export after the US.

According to a BPI review of data from Luminate, over 120 UK musicians with debut albums released after 2015 earned more than 100 million global audio streams last year. They go on to state that “This represents nearly one-third of all the artists from the UK who attained this level of streaming success in 2021”. Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize, summed it all up in a statement released on the BPI website:

“The UK has been one of the world’s music superpowers since the advent of pop culture, thanks to the combination of our many incredible artists drawn from all regions and nations, and the passion, financial backing and expertise of our record labels. During a time when music has returned to growth after years of decline, labels have continued to prioritise investment in artists. Spending on A&R reached a record £358 million last year and is significantly outpacing revenue increases. It is fuelling success for a new generation of UK artists who are embracing the opportunities of this truly connected world, underpinning our leading position on the global music stage.”

The UK music industry is no stranger to producing record-breaking artists. Leading the way are chart-dominating artists Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Adele along with heritage artists like Queen and Elton John. Adele alone is the only artist to exceed 1 million album sales last year and her album, 30, sold twice as many copies as any other. But it wasn’t just the super-established that made waves in British music in 2021. This substantial growth was also down to the work of breakthrough acts such as Glass Animals, Rex Orange County and BBC Sound of 2022 winner, PinkPantheress. In fact, Glass Animals song “Heat Waves” was Australia’s No. 1 single of the year

Last year, nearly 400 UK artists accrued over 100 million audio streams worldwide, compared to around 300 artists in 2020. The figures also revealed that there were notable artists who gained over 250 million streams yet did not achieve a UK Top 40 single, proving that despite moderate success in the UK, some of these artists will be extremely established overseas. Such artists included Grammy-nominated Ella Mai, metalcore band Asking Alexandria, and Scottish-American singer Bishop Briggs. Ella Mai’s single “Boo’d Up” hit the top five of  The Billboard Hot 100 and was an R&B No. 1 in the US, but peaked at 52 on the UK chart.

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize said, “These record-breaking figures once again highlight the extraordinary popularity of British music internationally. This is not just about our much-loved superstars, but new artists and bands from all over the UK who, with their label’s investment and expertise, are able to successfully navigate the competitive streaming landscape.”

The BPI also predict that, if this growth continues, British music exports could rise to £1 billion or more by the end of the decade. However, they do take note of the intensifying global competition and urge the Government to support artists to achieve this growth. “Continued success isn’t guaranteed,” states Taylor, he continues “with sustained support from Government, British music will continue to thrive all around the world.”

Read more here: www.bpi.co.uk