Michael Kiwanuka wins 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize
- Michael Kiwanuka announced tonight as the overall winner of the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize for Album of the Year live on BBC One’s The One Show, for his album ‘KIWANUKA’
- Hyundai Motor, the Mercury Prize’s title partner since 2016, has been supporting nominees, judges and management with a fleet of zero-emission Kona Electrics
- While it hasn’t been possible for a live show this year due to Government restrictions, there are opportunities to watch performances from the 12 shortlisted artists and the overall winner on BBC broadcasts
- To celebrate this year’s winner, Hyundai has put Michael Kiwanuka’s name in lights on its screen at Piccadilly Circus in London
Press material
-
Download
-
Images
Radio 1’s Annie Mac revealed the winner live on The One Show on BBC One.
KIWANUKA by Michael Kiwanuka is the well deserved winner of the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020 for Album of the Year. Classic yet contemporary, drawing on the history of music while remaining an intensely personal work of self expression, this is an album that will stand the test of time. Songs such as Hero and You Ain’t The Problem deal with hot button topics like race and identity, but in a reflective way that draws the listener in. From its narrative flow to the interludes, from Civil Rights speeches to its panoramic mix of everything from psychedelic rock to piano jazz, KIWANUKA is not only a complete work, but also one that is borne of the courage of its creator to build his own world and invite us in. Warm, rich, hugely accomplished and belonging to no one genre but its own, KIWANUKA is a masterpiece.
I don’t even know what to say – I’m speechless. This is amazing… I don’t even have any words. This is ridiculous, it’s crazy! I’m so happy. Third time’s a charm. It’s blown my mind. I’m over the moon, I'm so excited – this is for art, for music, for albums. This is the only thing I've ever wanted to do so to win a Mercury is a dream come true. I’m so happy. Music and art means so much to me and this is an award that celebrates that so I’m over the moon.
Huge congratulations to Michael Kiwanuka on winning the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. His album ‘KIWANUKA’ is beautifully bold and emotive, thoroughly deserving this coveted prize. Even though a live show hasn’t been possible this year, we will be applauding the overall winner by putting Michael’s name in lights on our iconic Piccadilly Circus screen in London. In the same spirt as the Hyundai Mercury Prize, we challenge convention and strive for progress in everything we do at Hyundai – which is why I’m delighted to be title partner for the fifth year running now. We’re extremely proud to support British musicians and have enabled all nominated artists, as well as the wider Hyundai Mercury Prize team, to travel around in style and, importantly, in an environmentally friendly way this year by providing a fleet of our innovative zero-emission Kona Electric vehicles.
As all events are subject to current Government guidelines & restrictions there has not be a live awards show this year. However there is extensive television, radio and online coverage of the Prize across the BBC, which will showcase and celebrate the achievements of the 12 artists shortlisted this year.
BBC programmes:
Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020 ‘Album of the Year’ special programme broadcast on BBC Four last night: The programme, voiced by BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne, included specially filmed and socially distanced performances by Anna Meredith, Georgia, Lanterns on the Lake, Laura Marling, Moses Boyd, Porridge Radio and Sports Team (all filmed in independent venues in Brighton, Gateshead and London), a unique performance from Charli XCX from LA as well as performance footage from Dua Lipa, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka and Stormzy. The programme can be viewed on BBC iPlayer here along with some of the tracks performed by this year’s shortlisted artists.
Hyundai Merucry Prize 2020 ‘Later… with Jools Holland’, on BBC Two, Friday, 25 September, 10pm to 10.45pm: Later... with Jools Holland: Mercury Prize 2020 launches the new seven-part autumn series of Later…with Jools Holland and will feature the winner of the Mercury Prize 2020 in conversation with Jools.
Hyundai Mercury Prize special with Tom Ravenscroft on BBC Radio 6 Music, Thursday, 24 September, 7pm to 9pm: Tonight, following the announcement of the overall winner on The One Show, Tom will present a special show on 6 Music in celebration of the winning album, which will also include an interview with the artist who created it.
The Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020: Album of the Year programme and Later… with Jools Holland: Mercury Prize 2020 will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, along with some of the tracks performed by this year’s shortlisted artists. The BBC Sounds app can be downloaded to catch all the 6 Music coverage live and on demand. The Prize’s digital music partner, YouTube Music, will also host the official Prize playlist featuring the 12 shortlisted artists and albums and support the Prize's first ever international live stream.
The Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ celebrate and promote the best of UK music, recognising artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres.
Hyundai, the Mercury Prize’s title partner since 2016, will be celebrating the shortlisted artists and continuing to support innovations in British music. As part of its support for this year’s Hyundai Mercury Prize, the car brand has provided a fleet of zero-emission Kona Electric vehicles to help the nominees, judges and wider Hyundai Mercury Prize team get around in an environmentally-friendly way.
Hyundai has the most diverse range of alternatively fueled vehicles in the market, including the KONA Electric, the UK’s first fully electric compact SUV which has a range of up to 278 miles on a single charge (64kWh versions) and a high-end sound system from Krell.
The 2020 shortlisted artists were:
Anna Meredith ‘FIBS‘
Charli XCX ‘how i’m feeling now‘
Dua Lipa ‘Future Nostalgia‘
Georgia ‘Seeking Thrills‘
Kano ‘Hoodies All Summer‘
Lanterns on the Lake ‘Spook the Herd‘
Laura Marling ‘Song for Our Daughter‘
Michael Kiwanuka ‘KIWANUKA‘
Moses Boyd ‘Dark Matter‘
Porridge Radio ‘Every Bad‘
Sports Team ‘Deep Down Happy‘
Stormzy ‘Heavy is the Head‘
Please read more at: https://blog.hyundai.co.uk/experiences/music
Press contact
-
Natasha Waddington
Head of PR
natasha.waddington@hyundai.co.ukRobin Hayles
Head of Product & Technical PR
robin.hayles@hyundai.co.ukEmma Illman
Product Press Officer
emma.illman@hyundai.co.ukHarriet Ward
PR Coordinator
