Photo credit: John Marshall
UK record labels association the BPI, which organises the Mercury Prize with FREE NOW, today reports a marked rise in demand for Little Simz’ album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert following her acclaimed win last week.
The Awards Show, held on Tuesday 18th October at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, was postponed from September due to the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen. On Tuesday, 11 of the 12 shortlisted artists performed to a packed house, before judge and guest presenter Jamz Supernova announced Little Simz as the overall winner.
According to a BPI analysis of Official Charts Company data, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert enjoyed a 153% increase in Chart Sales (which measures sales and streams combined) last Chart Week compared to the Chart Week before, while demand for her album on LP and CD physical formats rose 141% and downloads surged 2150%.
Other albums to see a significant pick-up in Chart Sales included Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler for All Our Days That Tear The Heart (162%), Self Esteem’s Prioritise Pleasure (161%) and Fergus McCreadie’s Forest Floor (144%).
The Prize’s three month digital campaign contributed to an uplift on artists’ social media platforms, helping profiles grow via engagement across Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok and Facebook. Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler (54.73%), Self Esteem (28.18%) and Wet Leg (25.66%) saw the biggest rises, followed by Fergus McCreadie (25.59%), Yard Act (16.90%), Gwenno (12.08%), Sam Fender (8.45%), Nova Twins (5.76%), Little Simz (2.31%), Joy Crookes (2.05%), Harry Styles (1.78%) and Kojey Radical (1.62%).
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI, which is also home to the Mercury Prize with FREE NOW said: “We were determined to restage this year’s event swiftly and were delighted that eleven of the twelve shortlisted artists came back to perform live last Tuesday. I owe a big thank you to our amazing Events team, to our partners – FREE NOW, Amazon Music and Bowers & Wilkins – to the BBC, Eventim Apollo and our record label members, all of whom dug deep to ensure we could celebrate this year’s twelve brilliant albums.
“The atmosphere at the Apollo on the night was electric – it was clear just how much the Mercury Prize means to artists, industry and fans. With strong growth in the TV ratings and digital reach, it feels that the Prize is going from strength to strength. My congratulations to all of the artists for their achievement and to Little Simz in particular, an amazing talent and deserved winner”.
The Prize’s broadcast partner BBC Music provided live television coverage on BBC Four with the average TV audience 48% higher than consolidated 2021 figures at 222,000 viewers.
The 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW Awards Show is now available on iPlayer – where all the amazing live performances can be seen – here.
FREE NOW, the Mobility Super App, with the largest vehicle choice for consumers across Europe, is the new headline sponsor of the Mercury Prize. The sponsorship is part of a multi-year commitment from FREE NOW to support British music.
Amazon Music are the digital music partner of the 2022 Mercury Prize. The music streaming service, which gives music fans access to over 90 million songs alongside podcasts, livestreamed events and exclusive editorial content, supported the Mercury Prize shortlisted artists with playlists and programming from the launch of the shortlist until the Awards Show.
As part of its long-term commitment to supporting UK recorded music, renowned British premium audio brand, Bowers & Wilkins, continues as the official audio partner of the Mercury Prize. At the forefront of music creation for over 40 years, it is uniquely placed to help the Mercury Prize celebrate the album format and the shortlisted artists’ creative achievements.
The Mercury Prize with FREE NOW ‘Albums of the Year’ celebrate and promote the best of British and Irish music recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres.
The 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’
Gwenno ‘Tresor’
Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
Joy Crookes ‘Skin’
Kojey Radical ‘Reason to Smile’
Little Simz ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Nova Twins ‘Supernova’
Sam Fender ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wet Leg ‘Wet Leg’
Yard Act ‘The Overload’
