Nia Archives has made an impressive achievement as the first jungle artist to be nominated for the Mercury Prize in 26 years with her album ‘Silence is Loud’. The singer, who hails from Bradford, received the nomination on July 26th, following in the footsteps of Roni Size, who won the award in 1997 for his album ‘New Forms’.
This historic nomination is not only a monumental accomplishment for Nia Archives but also for dance music as a whole. Several other electronic artists have made the prestigious shortlist, including Burial, Jon Hopkins, Shygirl, and Barry Can’t Swim, who is also a nominee in 2024.
Since its release in April, ‘Silence is Loud’ has received praise for its daring approach to blending Brit-pop and alt-rock influences with classic 90s jungle breaks. The artist herself said the album is more song-focused than her other work.
The nomination shortlist for 2024 includes Charli XCX’s club-pop masterpiece ‘BRAT’, Ghetts’ introspective fourth studio album ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’, and Berwyn’s emotionally mature ‘Who Am I’, among others. The panel of industry experts who decided on the nominees this year includes BBC 6 Music’s Jamz Supernova, music critic for The Times Will Hodgkinson, BBC Radio 2’s Jeff Smith, and Capital Dance’s Mistajam.
In summary, Nia Archives has made history by becoming the first jungle artist to receive a Mercury Prize nomination in 26 years with her album ‘Silence is Loud’. The shortlist for 2024 includes several notorious electronic artists, and the panel of industry experts chose the nominees, including Jamz Supernova, Will Hodgkinson, Jeff Smith, and Mistajam
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