Rock Band English Teacher Wins 2023 Mercury Prize for Debut Album

Rock band English Teacher clinched the Mercury Prize for its debut album 'This Could Be Texas,' beating Charli XCX and Ghetts. Formed in Leeds in 2020, the band received acclaim for its originality and character. The Mercury Prize shortlists 12 UK and Irish albums annually, with winners receiving £25,000.

Rock band English Teacher won the Mercury Prize for its debut album 'This Could Be Texas' on Thursday, beating the likes of singer-songwriter Charli XCX and rapper Ghetts for the British music award. The four band members—singer Lily Fontaine, guitarist Lewis Whiting, bass player Nicholas Eden, and drummer Douglas Frost—were visibly shocked as they stepped on stage at Abbey Road Studios in London to collect the prize.

'We just thought we'd make a band,' Fontaine told the audience, before she and her bandmates gave out their thanks. The Leeds group, which formed in 2020, released 'This Could Be Texas' in April to critical acclaim. Judges noted the album's 'originality and character,' describing it as 'a lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation... (revealing) new depths and textures on each listen.'

Established in 1992, the annual Mercury Prize shortlists 12 albums from British and Irish acts released in the past year, with the winner taking home £25,000 ($32,942). Considered less mainstream than pop music honors like the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize spans all music genres. This year, eight nominated titles were debut albums, including works by The Last Dinner Party, Cat Burns, and Barry Can't Swim. Other contenders included Ghetts for his album 'On Purpose, with Purpose' and Charli XCX's 'Brat.'

(With inputs from agencies.)