Wolf Alice won the 2018 Hyundai Mercury prize for ‘Visions of a Life’, the bands second album, which was released in 2017. Wold Alice were presented with the £25,000 prize at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London, on Thursday the 20th of September. Prior to the ceremony, the band described it as a “substantial” amount of money that would allow any band to record an album with high production values.
On receiving the award, frontperson Ellie Rowsell said: “This means so much to pick this up with my three best friends”, while guitarist Theo Ellis recalled the moment when the band rejected by a record label boss because of their image, for Rowsell wearing makeup, and for their genre-resistant take on indie rock and post-punk, adding: “But here we are, so fuck you!”
Before the ceremony, Rowsell struggled to express how appreciative they were for the nomination: “We were so happy we got nominated. It’s hard to show that. We’re just gormless!” On the night, the London-based four-piece performed their single ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’, twice – once during the show, and then shortly after to celebrate their win. Wolf Alice are the first female-fronted act to win the award since 2011, when PJ Harvey won for a second time with her eighth album, ‘Let England Shake.’
Wolf Alice formed in 2010, initially as a duo comprised of Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie. Drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis joined the band in 2012. They signed to the independent British label Dirty Hit, and in 2015 released their debut album ‘My Love Is Cool’. The album was nominated for the 2015 Mercury prize but lost to Benjamin Clementine.
Rowsell was a judge for the prize in 2016. In a press conference following their win, she said that “you get given almost 300 albums to listen to, and I feel privileged to have that insight, because I know the dedication and intensity it takes to come to that decision.” Guitarist Joff Oddie said winning the prize was “the closest thing to an actual dream-like state – it sounds like such a cliché but that’s what it felt like for me.”
The prize is decided on the night by a panel of judges, which this year consisted of musicians Ella Eyre, Jamie Cullum, Lianne La Havas and Marcus Mumford, broadcasters Clara Amfo, Danielle Perry and MistaJam, critics Harriet Gibsone – the Guardian, Will Hodgkinson – the Times, and Phil Alexander – Kerrang!/Mojo, plus radio industry figures: Jeff Smith, head of music at BBC 6 Music and Radio 2, and Radio X head of music Mike Walsh.
The judging panel said: “From an incredibly broad list of remarkable music, Wolf Alice emerged as the overall winner due to their ability to deliver an album that combines the epic and intimate in equal measure. It is a journey of a record – with euphoric festival anthems and moments of subtle beauty – it is an album articulated with confidence and adventure. For them, the world awaits!”
Wolf Alice, with their album ‘Visions of a Life’, were up against: Lily Allen – with ‘No Shame’, Arctic Monkeys – with ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, Everything Everything, – with ‘A Fever Dream’, Everything Is Recorded – with ‘Everything Is Recorded’, Florence + the Machine – with ‘High as Hope’, Noel Gallagher – with ‘High Flying Birds, Who Built the Moon?’, King Krule – with ‘The Ooz’, Novelist – with ‘Novelist Guy’, Nadine Shah – with ‘Holiday Destination’, Jorja Smith – with ‘Lost and Found’, and Sons of Kemet – with ‘Your Queen is a Reptile’.
