Donegal man Tommy McLaughlin’s Villagers have become the first Irish band to be nominated for the Mercury Music Prize twice.
Conor O’Brien of Villagers
Their second album, Awayland, is among the 12 albums shortlisted for this year’s Mercury prize.
Awayland is the follow up to their acclaimed 2010 debut Becoming a Jackal which was recorded in Tommy’s home studio in Termon.
Lead singer Conor O’Brien said of the nomination: “We are surprised and honoured to be nominated for the Mercury Prize with Awayland; we put a lot of love into this album and the attention that this will afford it is currently warming the cockles no end”.
Villagers will be touring the UK and Europe this autumn, with a gig in Sligo Live on October 27 and in Dublin’s Vicar Street on December 17
The 2013 Mercury Music Prize ceremony will take place on October 30 at the Roundhouse in London.
The Mercury Music Prize 2013 nominees are:
Arctic Monkeys, AM
David Bowie, The Next Day
Disclosure, Settle
Foals, Holy Fire
Jake Bugg, Jake Bugg
James Blake, Overgrown
Jon Hopkins, Immunity
Laura Marling, Once I Was an Eagle
Laura Mvula, Sing to the Moon
Rudimental, Home
Savages, Silence Yourself
Villagers, Awayland
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