The shortlist of the seventh Welsh Music Prize has been revealed, the 12 albums show the diversity of music being produced by artists from Wales. There are nods for previous winners Georgia Ruth and Gruff Rhys and previous nominee Sweet Baboo alongside a host of fast rising artists including North Walian trip pop of Kelly Lee Owens, alt pop trio HMS Morris, Cardiff based rnb group Baby Queens and the pulsing electronica of Cotton Wolf.
The winner, to be announced at ceremony at Milk and Sugar in the Old Library in Cardiff on Friday 20 October, will be chosen by a panel of the following industry experts – Kelly Kiley (Rough Trade Records), Will Hodgkinson (Chief rock and pop critic, The Times), Jude Rogers (writer and critic), Elan Evans (DJ), Gethin Griffiths (Editor, Son Am Sin blog), Romesh Dodangoda (producer and mixer), Nici Beech (Galeri Caernarfon Artistic Director), Sam Lewis (Editor, Let it Happen blog) and Sophie Smith (Outpost Coffee).
Full shortlist:
BABY QUEENS – BABY QUEENS (Strangetown)
COTTON WOLF – LIFE IN ANALOGUE (Bubblewrap)
GEORGIA RUTH – FOSSIL SCALE (Navigator Records)
H HAWKLINE – I ROMANTICIZE (Heavenly Recordings)
KELLY LEE OWENS – KELLY LEE OWENS (Smalltown Supersound)
SWEET BABOO – WILD IMAGINATION (Moshi Moshi Records)
BENDITH – BENDITH
(Agati Records)
THE GENTLE GOOD – RUINS / ADFEILION (Bubblewrap)
GRUFF RHYS – SET FIRE TO THE STARS (Finders Keepers)
HMS MORRIS – INTERIOR DESIGN (Waco Gwenci)
MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARD – Y PROFFWYD DWYLL (New Heavy Sounds)
TOBY HAY – THE GATHERING (Cambrian Records)
