Music Week can reveal the 22 acts from 19 different countries who have made the shortlist for the 2018 IMPALA European Album Of The Year Award.
Beggars Group labels have secured four artist nominations – King Krule, Aldous Harding, Ibeyi and former winners The xx – for the eighth edition of the award. Other contenders include albums by Loney Dear, Fever Ray and Laura Marling, as well as Berlin-based indie band Gurr, Portugese solo artist Surma and a trio of nominees from the Balkans (Chui I Jazz Orkestar HRT from Croatia, Marko Louis from Serbia and Slovenia’s Širom).
This award was launched in 2011 to mark a decade of IMPALA, which represents European independent labels. The album accolade is intended to showcase the breadth and diversity of independent talent across Europe.
Helen Smith, executive chair of IMPALA, said: “This is a great shortlist from all over Europe including the Balkans from where we are just coming back after taking part in MENT Ljubljana festival. There is a good mix of new artists and more established acts. It will be a very tight vote.”
IMPALA board members will vote for the winning album, which will be unveiled later this month. Danish artist Agnes Obel won last year and previous holders include José Gonzalez, Caribou, Guadalupe Plata, The xx, Adele and Efterklang.
Nominated albums were required to have been released on a European independent label between January and December 2017.
The nominated albums are listed below:
Aldous Harding – Party (4AD)
André Hazes – Wijzer (8Ball Music)
Cezinando – Noen Ganger Og Andre (111KLUBB)
Chui I Jazz Orkestar Hrt – Chui Ovu Glazbu (Dancing Bear)
Coez – Faccio Un Casino (Coez / Undamento)
D/Troit – Soul Sound System (Crunchy Frog)
Fever Ray – Plunge (Rabid Records)
Gurr – In My Head (Duchess Box Records)
Hangszersimogato – Varazslasok (Egyseg Media)
Ibeyi – Ash (XL Recordings)
Kaukolampi – 1 (Svart Records)
King Krule - The Ooz (XL Recordings)
Laura Marling – Semper Femina (More Alarming Records)
Loney Dear – Loney Dear (Real World Records)
Marko Louis – Beskraj (Lampshade Media)
Millionaire – Sciencing (Unday Records /N.E.W.S.)
Orelsan – La Fête Est Finie (7th Magnitude / 3ème Bureau / Wagram Music)
Širom – I Can Be A Clay Snapper (Tak:til)
Super Besse – La Nuit* (I Love You Records)
Surma – Antwerpen (Omnichord Records)
The xx – I See You (Young Turks)
Xoel Lopez - Sueños y Pan (Esmerarte/Altafonte)
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