English Teacher have won one of England’s most coveted awards. The Leeds post-punk band have just been announced as the winners of the 2024 Mercury Prize.
The Mercury Prize is bestowed by the British Phonographic Industry and the British Association of Record Dealers unto one album from the UK and Ireland each year; English Teacher, who only formed in 2020, got the trophy for their debut album This Could Be Texas. It’s particularly impressive considering the competition: Charli XCX’s Brat also made the shortlist, as did the Last Dinner Party’s Prelude To Ecstasy, Nia Archives’ Silence Is Loud, Portishead singer Beth Gibbons’ Lives Outgrown, and more. Congratulations to English Teacher!