C Duncan is turning Mercury into gold with music prize

On October 16, 2015 Christopher Duncan’s life changed forever, writes Ed Power.

That morning, the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize for year’s best UK or Irish album was released. To his enduring shock, the self-effacing Glaswegian had been nominated for his debut album, Architect.

“For the next ten years, whenever ‘C Duncan’ is mentioned, it will have Mercury Music Prize next to it in brackets,” he says in his soft Scottish accent. “It has altered how I am perceived – and how I perceive myself, to an extent.”