Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and The Raconteurs are among the US artists to dominate the inaugural Uncut Music Award shortlist which has been announced today (October 14).
Others to be picked from the longlist of 25 albums (Click here for the full list) released between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008 were The Felice Brothers, The Drive-By Truckers and Vampire Weekend.
Flying the flag for British artists are this year’s Mercury Music Prize winners Elbow and Radiohead.
The ten-strong industry panel which includes artsists, producers, writers and promotors and includes Peter Hook, Linda Thompson, Vince Power, Tony Wadsworth and Edwyn Collins have whittled the list down to a final eight by ranking their five favourites from the year.
Uncut editor Allan Jones, who will chair the panel when choosing the Uncut Music Prize winner has commented on the shortlist, saying: “I can safely say on behalf of all the judges that reducing our original list of 25 albums to a short list of eight was not what you call an easy task. I’m very excited, though, by the final selection of albums that will contest the inaugural Uncut Music Award. The eight short listed albums is an exciting reflection of the great music produced over the last year and highlights the diversity of music regularly championed by Uncut. What happens next is going to be very interesting indeed.”
Another Uncut Music Award panellist, Mark Radcliffe has added: “This shortlist is filled with exciting innovations in music as well as just some really lovely tunes. What Uncut are doing by opening a music award to artists worldwide means that we will truly find the best album of the last 12 months”
Now that the short list of eight albums has been generated, the panellists will now fight it out at a round table event in central London to pick the very best to take the first ever Uncut Music Award. The winner will be announced in early November.
The Uncut Music Award shortlist 2008 is: (in alphabetical order)
1. BON IVER – For Emma, Forever Ago
2. ELBOW – The Seldom Seen Kid
3. THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
4. THE FELICE BROTHERS – The Felice Brothers
5. FLEET FOXES – Fleet Foxes
6. THE RACONTEURS – Consolers Of The Lonely
7. RADIOHEAD – In Rainbows
8. VAMPIRE WEEKEND – Vampire Weekend
Keep up to date with the Uncut Music Award, with info about all the albums, at our dedicated blog here.
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