Michael Kiwanuka plays at the 2017 Governors Ball Music Festival – Day 1 at Randall’s Island on June 2, 2017 in New York City.
Michael Kiwanuka’s third album, Kiwanuka, received the Hyundai Mercury Album of the Year award in 2020. Annie Mac of Radio 1 revealed the winner on BBC One’s The One Show on Thursday, September 24.
Kiwanuka’s album preceded hits such as Future Nostalgia through Dua Lipa and How I’m Feeling Now through Charli XCX. The award recognizes British albums released between July 20, 2019 and July 17, 2020.
The album peaked at number 2 on the official UK album chart, but staed at number 142 on the Billboard 200 and critics responded warmly to the album. In the aggregation of the Metacritic. com, Kiwanuka obtained a false 89.
The Mercury Prize jury said: “Classic but contemporary, based on the history of music while still being an intensely non-public self-expression painting, this is an album that will stand the passing of time. . . Warm, rich, incredibly complete and belonging to a genre apart from yours, Kiwanuka is a masterpiece.
Kiwanuka said: “Music and art mean a lot to me and it’s an award that celebrates it, so I’m excited. “
He also said “The 3rd time is a charm”, a reference to the fact that his two previous albums were shortlisted for honor, but they earned it. Their album deyet, Home Again, lost the 2012 award to An Awesome of alt-J Wave, their moment album, Love
The psychodrama of Dave, winner of last year’s Mercury Award, who, like Kiwanuka, had songs commenting on racial issues.
Other winners from beyond come across several who have come across to succeed in the United States, adding Franz Ferdinand (2004) by Franz Ferdinand, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006), James Blake’s Xx’s xx (2010) and Overgrown (2013).
Unlike the Grammys, the Mercury Award publishes the names of the other people who were part of the jury. Jeff Smith, Music Manager, 6 Music
The other 11 albums in this year’s variety were:
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