Nick Grimshaw to host Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show

Posted on 15 October 2014
By Faye Smith
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Nick Grimshaw, aka Grimmers, will be hosting the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show. Our favourite London radio presenter is excited to present the prize and see the outcome.

He says of the privilege: “It’s a real honour to host the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show, which celebrates the best British talent that we have to offer. I think it’s a really interesting, exciting and pretty perfect shortlist. I can’t wait to see which album the judges’ crown as the overall winner this year.”

The show airs live on Wednesday, 29 October.

Alice Levine will be fronting a 45 minute programme on More4 at 9:30pm.

Grimmers will be announcing the winner of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show at 10pm on Channel 4.

The 2014 Albums of the Year are:

Anna Calvi – One Breath
Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots
East India Youth – Total Strife Forever
FKA twigs – LP1
GoGo Penguin – v2.0
Jungle – Jungle
Kate Tempest – Everybody Down
Nick Mulvey – First Mind
Polar Bear – In Each And Every One
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Young Fathers – Dead

Chair of judges, Simon Frith is impressed by the versatility of the shortlist.

Some of the albums are debuts which he describes as “outstanding”. Alongside the debuts are albums by more established artists who are “pursuing exciting new directions” says the Professor of Music at Edinburgh University.

“What most impressed the judges was the inventive passion with which the musicians explore music and emotional possibilities, refusing to be pinned down by rules or genre.”

220 albums were entered into the competition. Only the above 12 made the cut which Alice Levine announced in September at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden.

The entire Awards Show, including all live performances, will be broadcast in full on Friday, 31 October on Channel 4.

Set your TV to record if you’re joining us for DeadFest!

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