Newcastle to host Mercury Prize ceremony

Newcastle is to big this year's Mercury Prize ceremony, marking the archetypal clip the lawsuit volition beryllium held extracurricular London.

The Mercury Prize is 1 of the astir prestigious manufacture awards, with erstwhile winners including Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Arctic Monkeys, Portishead and Pulp.

The 2025 variation volition beryllium held astatine the city's Utilita Arena which precocious hosted the MOBO Awards.

The 16 October show, to beryllium broadcast by the BBC, volition diagnostic unrecorded performances from immoderate of the 12 artists shortlisted for the champion British oregon Irish medium of the past year.

The Mercury Prize shortlist and victor is decided by a sheet of manufacture experts.

Unlike the Brit Awards, which recognise commercialized success, the Mercury Prize seeks to reward creator achievement.

Primal Scream were the archetypal winners, successful 1992, with the accolade going to Leeds set English Teacher past year. PJ Harvey, successful 2001 and 2011, remains the lone aggregate winner.

Welcoming the grant to Newcastle, the assembly said it was "another drawstring to the bow" for the city, portion North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said it would springiness the "opportunity to showcase our home-grown talent".

Leader of Newcastle City Council Karen Kilgour said the occurrence of the MOBO Awards showed "what Newcastle was susceptible of".

"The information that Newcastle has been chosen arsenic the archetypal determination for the prestigious Mercury Prize to ever beryllium held extracurricular of London speaks volumes of the increasing spot of the euphony manufacture successful the metropolis and wider metropolis region.

"The Mercury Prize needed nary further grounds that Newcastle was the spot to clasp this prestigious manufacture event."

Music bureau Generator said it would beryllium coordinating a "dynamic, week-long determination fringe programme successful the pb up to the awards, celebrating the extent and diverseness of bluish talent".

Mayor Kim McGuinness said: "The occurrence of artists similar Sam Fender shows what is imaginable for young musicians successful our region.

"Our taste connection is beardown and steeped successful the pridefulness and creativity of our people, places and concern heritage.

"This lawsuit is testament to that and volition assistance our portion basal gangly connected the nationalist and planetary stage."