Congratulations to Warner Chappell artists Ben Howard, Michael Kiwanuka and Lianne La Havas for their nominations for the 2012 Mercury Prize.
Devon raised singer-songwriter Ben Howard released his debut studio album Every Kingdom in 2011. Noted for his skill on the acoustic guitar, the album is refreshing in that, whilst undeniably steeped in the rich tradition of folk, it displays a unique, forward-thinking quality. Earlier in the year we worked with Ben to create accurate transcriptions of The Wolves, Keep Your Head Up, Old Pine and The Fear, using the authentic tunings for his style of finger-picking guitar.
Winner of the BBC’s Sound of 2012, Michael Kiwanuka released his debut album, Home Again in March. Drawing comparisons to innumerable legends such as Otis Redding, Bill Withers and Van Morrison, the album reached number 4 in the UK charts and features the singles I’m Getting Ready and title track Home Again.
Lianne La Havas’ debut Is Your Love Big Enough? also reached number 4 in the UK album charts when it was released in July this year. The London based singer-songwriter began her career as a backing singer for Paloma Faith but in 2010 was signed to Warner Records as a solo artist. Check out the official video for the album title track here.
The prestigious annual prize was initiated as an alternative to the more commercial pop orientated Brit Awards. Each year 12 nominees are chosen by a panel of key industry figures; the prize and nominations are highly sought-after and can lead to a healthy increase in sales for artists nominated. Previous winners associated with Faber Music include Gomez for their 1998 album Bring It On, Arctic Monkeys for Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) and Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid (2008). In 2000, Faber classical composer Nicholas Maw was nominated for his Violin Concerto.
The winner will be announced on 1st November; for more information visit the Barclaycard Mercury Prize official site.