English Teacher have been awarded the 2024 Mercury Prize for their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’

English Teacher have been awarded the 2024 Mercury Prize for their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’. The Leeds-based quartet was announced as the winner during the live broadcast from Abbey Road Studios on BBC Four on 5 September.

‘This Could Be Texas’ showcases an ambitious blend of indie rock, jazz, and punk influences. The album, featuring tracks like ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ and ‘R&B’, demonstrates the band’s ability to tackle diverse themes with both grit and maturity.

Former Dork cover stars English Teacher’s win highlights the Mercury Prize’s history of recognising breakthrough acts, following in the footsteps of previous debut album winners such as Arctic Monkeys in 2006 for ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ and The xx in 2010 for ‘xx’.

The band, consisting of Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar), Lewis Whiting (lead guitar), Nicholas Eden (bass), and Douglas Frost (drums), formed in Leeds and quickly gained attention for their energetic live performances and thought-provoking lyrics.

The award was decided by a judging panel including a mix of broadcasters, musicians, and industry experts, with albums released between 15th July 2023 and 12th July 2024 by British or Irish artists eligible for consideration.

The panel said on the winning record: “This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse & rich musical landscape. There was so much passion and enthusiasm for each one. 

“In the end, though, we did agree that ‘This Could Be Texas’ by English Teacher stands out for its originality & character. A winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation, alongside a subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly, displays a fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format. ‘This Could Be Texas’ reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic. 

“The Mercury Prize was set up to celebrate the album as an artistic format in its own right and all the judges agreed that this charismatic body of work deserves to be the 2024 Mercury Prize Album of the Year.”

The complete shortlist of nominees read:

Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?’
BERWYN – ‘Who Am I’
Beth Gibbons – ‘Lives Outgrown’
Cat Burns – ‘early twenties’
Charli XCX – ‘BRAT’
CMAT – ‘Crazymad, for Me’
Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘Black Rainbows’
corto.alto – ‘Bad with Names’
English Teacher – ‘This Could Be Texas’
Ghetts – ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’
Nia Archives – ‘Silence Is Loud’
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’