The Nationwide Mercury Prize 2005

Tuesday September 6th 2005

Albums of the Year

WINNER

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS ‘I Am a Bird Now’

‘I Am a Bird Now’ is by Chichester born and New York based Antony Hegarty, whose career has been championed by Lou Reed among others.  Antony's album, released in March 2005, features contributions from Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Boy George and Devendra Banhart.
 
‘Pianist and torch singer Antony has a voice to pin you to the wall - and songs that send shivers down the spine’ The Judging Panel

THE MAGIC NUMBERS ‘The Magic Numbers’

The Magic Numbers are two sets of siblings - Romeo and Michele Stodart and Sean and Angela Gannon. The Stodarts grew up in Trinidad before moving to New York and then London, where they met up with the Gannons . Their eponymously titled album is the west London band's debut and was released in June 2005.
 
‘The Magic Numbers celebrate the joy of singing pop harmonies so fervently that it's impossible not to cheer along’  The Judging Panel
 

M.I.A. ‘Arular’

M.I.A. - Maya Arulpragasam - is a a former Central St. Martins art student, and her early work included painting, film and video, although it was music that proved to be the defining medium for her talents. ‘Arular’, her debut album, was released in April 2005 and it includes her signature single, ‘Galang’.
 
‘Hip-hop, ragga, dancehall, pop and electro never sounded such perfect soulmates‘  The Judging Panel
 

POLAR BEAR ‘Held on the Tips of Fingers’

‘Held on The Tips of Fingers’ is the second album by Polar Bear, the four-piece band featuring drummer and leader Sebastian Rochford from Aberdeen, together with saxophonists Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart, as well as double bassist Tom Herbert. The album was released in March 2005 on the acclaimed UK jazz label, Babel.
 
‘Held on the Tips of Fingers reaches across musical boundaries - adventurous, unexpected and engaging‘  The Judging Panel
 

KAISER CHIEFS ‘Employment’

Leeds‘ quintet Kaiser Chiefs have been together since summer 2003, first coming to attention with their own independently released single, ‘Oh My God’. ‘Employment’, Kaiser Chiefs‘ debut album, was released on b-unique in March 2005. The album has since gone platinum in the UK and includes the hit singles ‘I Predict a Riot’ and ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’.
 
‘Employment bristles with wit, melodies and eloquence’ The Judging Panel
 

MAXIMO PARK ‘A Certain Trigger’

Newcastle's Maximo Park established their reputation with the 2004 self-produced vinyl single ‘Grafitti / Going Missing’. The record was so well received that they became the first guitar band on Warp, the famed UK electronic label. Maximo Park's debut album ‘A Certain Trigger’ was released in May 2005. It features the top 20 single, ‘Apply Some Pressure’.
 
‘Spiky, smart and frenetic - welcome to Maximo Park’ The Judging Panel
 

HARD-FI ‘Stars of CCTV’

Hard-Fi, led by singer Richard Archer, are a four-piece band from Staines in Middlesex. The band's debut album, ‘Stars of CCTV’, was released in July 2005, entering the chart at number six. The album includes the hit singles ‘Tied Up Too Tight’ and ‘Hard to Beat’.
 
‘Streetwise guitar music fuelled by ska-inflected songs of suburban frustration and ambition’ The Judging Panel
 

KT TUNSTALL ‘Eye to the Telescope’

KT Tunstall grew up in the Fife town of St. Andrews, although her musical development took her to New England and London before becoming part of the grassroots scene in her native Scotland. ‘Eye to the Telescope’, her debut album, was released in December 2004 and has since gone platinum in the UK.
 
‘A wonderfully assured exhibition of the art of the singer-songwriter - an enticing musical journey’  The Judging Panel
 

BLOC PARTY ‘Silent Alarm’

Bloc Party were formed by vocalist Kele Okereke along with Russell Lissack and Gordon Moakes in 2000. The line-up was completed with the addition of drummer Matt Tong in 2003. ‘Silent Alarm’, released in February 2005, is the band's debut album. It features the top five single, ‘So Here We Are’. The album entered the UK chart at number three.
 
‘Edgy, exciting and assertive - compelling rock songs performed with swagger’  The Judging Panel
 

SETH LAKEMAN ‘Kitty Jay’

 Seth Lakeman has forged a formidable reputation in the UK folk scene, performing with his family in The Lakeman Brothers and subsequently with artists such as Kate Rusby and Cara Dillon. ‘Kitty Jay’, produced by Seth and Sean Lakeman, is his second solo album, and is released on Seth's own Devon based record label. 
 
‘Drawing on the dramatic songs and tales of his native Dartmoor, Seth Lakeman makes music that is urgent, thrilling and haunting’ The Judging Panel
 

COLDPLAY ‘X&Y’

‘X&Y’ is the third album by Coldplay, now confirmed as one of the world's biggest and most significant bands. The album, released in June 2005, was an immediate number one on both sides of the Atlantic and has since topped the charts in another 24 countries. It features the hit single, ‘Speed of Sound’.
 
‘Coldplay take on the world … and win‘  The Judging Panel
 
 
THE GO! TEAM ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’

The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, formed by Ian Parton and fronted by the charismatic female mc, Ninja. The band's musical mix encompasses everything from old hip hop and noise guitar to electro and cop TV themes. ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’, is the band's debut album and features the single ‘Ladyflash’.
 
’A joyous carnival of sound - exuberant and vital’  The Judging Panel