David Bowie is the bookmaker’s favourite to posthumously be awarded the 2016
Mercury Prize for his album ‘Blackstar’.
Ladbrokes has made ‘Blackstar’ the early favourite with odds of 2/1 though both Radiohead and Anohni are close contenders for the coveted prize.
Both Radiohead’s ‘Moon Shaped Pool’ and Anohni’s ‘Hopelessness’ are priced at 5/1.
Bowie’s Blackstar was released a mere two days prior to his death, and co-producer Tony Visconti has referred to the legend’s 25th studio album as his “parting gift.”
Despite the odds, a look back at the history of the Mercury Prize could lead you away from placing a wager on Radiohead; the band has been nominated five times but is yet to win even once.
Of the others in seeming contention, there’s Skepta’s ‘Konnichiwa’ priced at 8/1, Michael Kiwanuka’s ‘Love & Hate’ at 10/1, The 1975’s ‘i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it’ at 12/1 and Kano’s ‘Made in the Manor’ also at 12/1.
The 2015 Mercury Prize winner was Benjamin Clementine, with three groups preceding him as winners in the form of Young Fathers (2014), James Blake (2013) and Alt-J (2012) respectively.
The prize was first established in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards. It was formerly known as the Mercury Music Prize, and since 1992 groups have won 17 times with individuals, including Dizzee Rascal and PJ harvey amongst others, winning on seven occasions. Bowie would be the first to win the award posthumously and in an NME poll on the matter 36% of readers stated their opinion that it should go to the late musician.
