Mercury rising as Fionn takes on the best

A WICKLOW singer-songwriter has been shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Fionn Regan, from Bray, has been nominated for his critically-acclaimed album The End Of History.He is one of 12 acts nominated for the award, with the early favourites soul songstress Amy Winehouse and Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys.

Bookmaker William Hill rates Regan a 10-1 chance to scoop the coveted award.

The End Of History, Regan’s debut album, was praised for mixing folk music with conversational lyrics, and he played at the Glastonbury Festival last month.

Renowned for honouring obscure acts for the award, last year the Mercury judges surprised many by going for the people’s choice in Arctic Monkeys.

The winner will be announced on September 4 in London.

The prize is open to British and Irish acts who have released an album in the past year and covers all genres of music.

Industry experts predict the judges may revert to type by choosing a more obscure act this time.

Presenter Lauren Laverne announced the shortlist at The Hospital private members’ club in Covent Garden, London.

The Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse did not show up.

But most of the other nominees were there to celebrate being shortlisted.

Regan said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to be nominated alongside these other artists. I don’t like to view it as a competition.

“It’s an amazing feeling. It feels a bit like someone’s come into a cave with a big flashlight and shone it on me.”

Natasha Khan, 27, aka Bat For Lashes, said: “It’s really exciting to be nominated, quite surreal.

“I’ve watched the Mercury Prize over the years and seen some great bands. It’s an award that’s for alternative music, really, it’s not about the mainstream.”

Dizzee Rascal already knows what it is like to be a Mercury prize winner.

“Winning the Mercury made a lot of people stand up and look at me that might not have looked before. It gave me some good recognition,” he said.

“To be nominated this time means even more because I worked on the album for so long and now it’s getting this kind of recognition.”