Upon seeing the nominations for this year’s Hyundai Mercury Prize, I knew that the award ceremony would be worth attending to catch a glimpse of the best acts in Britain and Ireland, but I didn’t imagine a night of such incredible talent, and political protests…

Back in July of this year, twelve albums were announced on the shortlist for this year’s prestigious Mercury Prize; these albums included the best of jazz, punk, rap, R&B and rock. At this years ceremony, all of the acts performed a single track from their nominated album, apart from The 1975 who were sadly on tour in Australia so couldn’t make it.

I’d never attended an event like it before, as it’s not everyday that you’ll see a ten piece jazz group performing minutes after an Irish punk-band. Equally, as each act only had the chance to perform one song, most pulled out all the stops and put on an impressive show. That said, I won’t comment on each act’s performance, because some, like Foals‘ rendition of ‘On The Luna‘, were pretty standard and uneventful, but below are a few of the standout moments.

Little Simz – ‘Selfish’

Little Simz was one of the only performers on the night to offer a slight re-interpretation of her studio track, thanks to the piano introduction she added to the song. Simz oozed confidence, as she sat in her full white suit flawlessly playing piano and rapping the first verse to her single ‘Selfish‘. As the chorus came in, the stage lit up to show her bandmates all in identical white get-ups. I’m pretty certain that Simz was the only performer on the night to actually urge the crowd to sing along with her, as the 25 year-old repeated the hook of the chorus, dancing around with an impeccable swagger. If the judges chose the Mercury Prize winner based on the night’s performance alone, Little Simz would have won hands down.

black midi – ‘bmbmbm’

Whilst I knew of London punk quartet black midi, I’d never heard any of their music prior to seeing their performance, but it sure was quite an introduction. The group performed their first official single, ‘bmbmbm‘, which stylistically was unconventional to the core. Lead vocalist Georgie Greed barely pronounces a single word that fell out his mouth, as he uttered ‘She moves with a purpose‘ over a thudding guitar backing; although I wasn’t able to decipher any of the lyrics based on first listen. Just before the outro of the track was when things got wild, as the lead guitarist took his guitar off and ran at full pace into a grand piano off stage – a move that was so unexpected, it wasn’t even caught by TV cameras. He then got up, most likely concussed, ran back onto centre stage, attempted a front flip and then laid out on the floor for the rest of the performance. Perhaps it was more the theatrics than the actual song iteslf, but it definitely caught my attention and I’ll definitely be checking out their acclaimed debut album ‘Schlagenheim‘.

slowthai – ‘Doorman’

As soon as Northampton rapper slowthai walked onto the stage holding a rucksack, I could tell he was about to cause a stir. Out of the rucksack he pulled out a manakin head resembling a decapitated Boris Johnson. He faced the audience and then a nearby camera and shouted ‘F#%k Boris” to the applause of most of the crowd. Putting political statements aside for a moment, slowthai demonstrated his rapping skills and punk personality as he ran around the venue, entering the cordoned off section where all the other artists and their camps were seated – jumping on tables and pinching someone’s chair. The performance ended with slowthai holding the manakin head in the air, cursing the PM once again before stating: “there ain’t nothing great about Britain” a similar sentiment to the title of his Mercury nominated album’s title. This ending of the performance wasn’t broadcast by the BBC, which isn’t a shock, but what they also cut off was the rapturous applause the rapper received; slowthai’s performance injected some much needed energy and excitement into the award ceremony, and highlighted why the 24 year old’s debut record made so much noise.

IDLES – ‘Never Fight A Man With A Perm’

I’m ashamed to say that I’d also never listened to Bristol rock band IDLES before the award show, but I was easily in the minority at the Eventim Apollo. As soon as I arrived at the venue I spotted countless fans wearing the group’s merchandise and when the group walked onto the stage as the final performance of the night, a large portion of the audience took to their feet and joined the band in singing nearly every word. The group clearly picked up on this energy, as frontman Joe Talbot stormed around the stage screaming his lyrics, whilst his bandmates danced around in the background. The guitarists of the group made their way into the crowd, dancing with slowthai, before giving him their Mercury Prize (which he did ultimately return after exchanging a few hugs). Their rendition of the track ‘Never Fight A Man With A Perm‘, felt like hardcore-rock/post-punk moment, which may not be my favourite genre to listen to, but I couldn’t deny that the energy of the group was infectious and they really know how to put on a live show.

Dave – ‘Psycho’

The ultimate winner on the night was 21 year old London rapper, Dave, with his debut studio album, ‘Psychodrama‘. I wasn’t shocked that the project won, as the rapper covers many complex issues in his raps, whilst also having a lot of chart-ready hit songs – maintaining high-level production and slick raps throughout. For his performance, Dave chose his album opener, ‘Psycho‘, which truly demonstrated his rapping ability, as he emulates a therapy session, discussing all the personal issues surrounding him. He was joined onstage with three backing singers, a pianist and an incredible saxophone player; whilst it was a simple set up, it truly showcased his talent and lyrical prowess, proving himself a deserved winner of this year’s prize.