UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 05 AUGUST 2016
Birmingham Conservatoire graduate Laura Mvula has been shortlisted for one of the UK’s top music awards.
The singer-songwriter was named on a 10-strong list of nominations for the prestigious Mercury Prize this week (August 4).
The Prize celebrates the year’s best albums with Mvula picking up a nod for her 12-track second album ‘The Dreaming Room’.
The former BMus Composition student joins the legendary David Bowie, two-time nominee Bat for Lashes and grime artists Skepta and Kano on an eclectic shortlist.
Mvula rose to fame after graduating from the Conservatoire and earned acclaim for her debut album, ‘Sing to the Moon’, which was also shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
She is no stranger to awards nominations having won two Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards and previously being nominated for three BRIT Awards, a Q Music Award and the BBC Sound of 2013 award.
Her former teacher Professor Joe Cutler, Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire, welcomed the nomination.
He said: "Laura is a true inspiration to us all at Birmingham Conservatoire, and this Mercury Prize nomination is an extraordinary achievement recognising her incredible talent."
'The Dreaming Room' was released in June 2016 and has received rave reviews from a number of publications, including The Guardian and Pitchfork.
The annual prize heralds the best record released by a British or Irish artist and was won last year by Benjamin Clementine for his album 'At Least For Now'. The ceremony will be held on 15 September, with the winner receiving £25,000.