Mercury Beckons For Fionn Regan

Fionn Regan is set to do battle with the Arctic Monkeys, New Young Pony Club and The Young Knives to name but a few as the bould Regan has been nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize. He’s set to appear at Electric Picnic this year after his current US tour wraps up some time in August but when the shortlist was announced earlier this afternoon his name was amongst the 12.

If you don’t know much about the Mercury Music Prize, there’s £20,000 up for grabs to the artist(s) behind the winning album, the album having been released between July 18th 2006 and July 9th 2007 (last Monday). Last year saw the Arctic Monkeys cap off an amazing year for their debut offering of ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ and they’re in the running again this year.

The 12 acts/albums that are nominated for this year’s award are Amy Winehouse (Back To Black), Arctic Monkeys (Favourite Worst Nightmare), Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford (Basquiat Strings), Bat For Lashes (Fur And Gold), Dizzee Rascal (Maths And English), Fionn Regan (The End Of History), Jamie T (Panic Prevention), Klaxons (Myths Of The Near Future), Maps (We Can Create), New Young Pony Club (Fantastic Playroom), The View (Hats Off To The Buskers), The Young Knives (Voices Of Animals And Men).

Fellow nominees New Young Pony Club played Kilkenny earlier this year, making a stop off in Langtons as part of the Heineken Green Sphere Sessions.