Neon Neon, a collaboration between Gruff Rhys and American producer Boom Bip, as well albums from Sweet Baboo, Georgia Ruth, Laurence Made Me Cry, Fist of the First Man are amongst the names on a 12 strong shortlist of nominations for this year’s Welsh music Prize.
It also includes Americana influenced duo Zervas & Pepper alongside emerging acts like Winter Villains, Little Arrow and Metabeats. The full shortlist of albums:
Euros Childs – Summer Special
Fist of the First Man – Fist of the First Man
Georgia Ruth – Week of Pines
Laurence Made Me Cry – The Diary of Me
Little Arrow – Wild Wishes
Metabeats – Caviar Crackle
Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect
Race Horses – Furniture
Sweet Baboo – Ships
Trwbador – Trwbador
Winter Villains – February
Zervas and Pepper – Lifebringer
“Launched in 2011, the prize aims to celebrate Welsh music across a wide variety of genres, while establishing a reputation similar to the UK-wide Mercury Music Prize.
The Welsh Music Prize, the initiative of Swn Festival co-founders Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and music promoter John Rostron, will be selected and judged by a panel of 12 industry figures and music experts.
The judges will meet in early October to narrow down the list and submit their votes on a final five albums, which will determine a winner. Details of this year’s panel will be announced later this month.
The winner will be announced on October 17 at a ceremony in Kuku Club, Cardiff on the opening night of this year’s Swn Festival – the multi-venue event held annually in the Welsh capital.
Additionally, there will be a Welsh Music Prize concert on October 16 at Clwb Ifor Bach featuring many of the shortlisted acts.
Tickets for the gig are priced £10 and on sale today from www.swnpresents.com
Now into its third year, the winner of last year’s Welsh Music Prize was Future of the Left for their album The Plot Against Common Sense, and the previous year it was won by Gruff Rhys for Hotel Shampoo.”
