Loretta Makes Top Ten On Shortlist!


THE SHORTLIST ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES TEN FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR THE 2004 SHORTLIST MUSIC PRIZE


Air – TALKIE WALKIE (Astralwerks)

Dizzee Rascal – BOY IN DA CORNER (Matador/XL)

Franz Ferdinand – FRANZ FERDINAND (Domino/Epic)

Ghostface Killah – THE PRETTY TONEY ALBUM (Def Jam)

The Killers – HOT FUSS (Island)

Loretta Lynn – VAN LEAR ROSE (Interscope)

Nellie McKay – GET AWAY FROM ME (Columbia)

The Streets – A GRAND DON’T COME FOR FREE (Vice)

TV On the Radio – DESPERATE YOUTH, BLOODTHIRSTY BABES (Touch & Go)

Wilco – A GHOST IS BORN (Nonesuch)


The Year’s Listmaker Panel Includes Norah Jones, Jack Black, Robert Smith, Perry Farrell, Jim Jarmusch, John Mayer and More!

XM and MTV2 TO BROADCAST SHORTLIST PRIZE SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

The time has finally arrived to announce the 10 finalists eligible for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize! In its fourth and biggest year to date, the Shortlist will continue to push the music industry envelope, prizing artistic merit and creative integrity over sales and giving a loud and clear voice to today’s most influential emerging artists. Quickly becoming the most coveted award and anticipated event on the music industry’s radar, the Shortlist Organization 2004 is set to deliver the best Shortlist awards concert yet in mid-November at the Shortlist Music Prize Concert Presented by XM and MTV2, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, to be broadcast on MTV2 and XM Satellite Radio.

2004 will undoubtedly be a benchmark year for the Shortlist Music Prize as we encounter a truly exciting time for new and independent music! Indicative of today’s current “musical melting pot” climate, the Shortlist finalists run the gamut from rock (Franz Ferdinand, The Killers) to country (Loretta Lynn) to electronic (Air, The Streets) to rap (Ghostface Killah, Dizzee Rascal). Two Mercury Prize winners, Franz Ferdinand (2004) and Dizzee Rascal (2003) have made this year’s coveted Shortlist, this is The Streets’ second year as a finalist, and four of this year’s albums are artist debuts. Emergent is a renewed “Overseas Invasion,” with four of the ten finalists from Europe. And, a reflection of several exciting trends in popular music, more than half of the 2004 Longlist of nominees come from independent record labels. Many of the Listmakers nominated artists well outside their own musical genre. Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, drummer of the Roots, named mellow rockers Wilco and fierce indie band TV On The Radio to his list. Listmaker 3D of British electronica standout Massive Attack reached across the ocean to tap Las Vegas up and comers The Killers. The complete Long List and the individual selections of each Listmaker can be found on the official Shortlist website, www.shortlistofmusic.com

"We're thrilled with by the musical breadth and depth of the Finalists selected by our Listmaker Panel" says Shortlist co-founder Tom Sarig. Adds co-founder Greg Spotts, "Working with XM and MTV2 on special Shortlist programming is the realization of our dream to bring dynamic and unique artists to a broad audience of music lovers."

The LISTMAKER Panel for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize:

Norah Jones, Chris Carraba (Dashboard Confessional), Robert Smith (The Cure), Jack Black, Serj Tankian (System of a Down), the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Perry Farrell, 3D (Massive Attack), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson (the Roots), Will-I-Am (Black Eyes Peas), film director Jim Jarmusch, radio personality Nic Harcourt, and journalists Neil Strauss, Josh Tyrangiel, Toure, Thor Christensen, Margeaux Watson, and Tom Moon.

For another year, the Shortlist Music Prize will push the music industry envelope and award this year’s most creative and adventurous emerging musical talents. Offering a much-needed alternative to the Grammys, the Shortlist puts the nomination process in the hands of today’s most influential artists and thinkers.

Co-Presenting sponsor MTV2 will, in September, begin featuring interviews with this year's Listmakers throughout its programming and will air regular updates on the award in MTV2's underground music show "Subterranean" airing on Sunday nights at 12am EST/9pm PST. MTV2 will air its complete Shortlist Music Prize special later this fall.

“Congratulations to all the Finalists. We have been supporting many of these talented, diverse artists from early on, and it is exciting to see them finally be recognized like this,” said David Cohn, GM of MTV2. “We have a lot planned, and we are looking forward to showcasing these Finalists, the Listmakers, and the winner once they are revealed in November.”

The Shortlist Music Prize culminates in a multi-artist concert in Los Angeles in mid-November. At the end of the concert the winner of the Shortlist Music Prize will be announced and presented with a check for $10,000 courtesy of Shortlist Co-Presenting sponsor XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR).

The other co-presenting sponsor, XM Satellite Radio, kicks off its Shortlist programming tonight, September 20th at 10:00 pm ET, with a special program that will air on XMU, Channel 43, showcasing the music of this year's nominees.

"From Air to Ghostface Killah to Wilco, XM plays all the great artists who so deservingly received Shortlist nominations this year," explained Lee Abrams, XM's Chief Programming Officer. "The programming partnership between Shortlist and XM is such a perfect fit. XM 'gets it,' Shortlist 'gets it,' and now, fortunately, more people will hear about and listen to these incredibly talented musicians.

This fall, XM will broadcast a series of hour-long programs built-around individual Listmakers discussing "who deserves the 2004 Shortlist prize and why." XM's Shortlist programming culminates in mid-November with the exclusive, live broadcast from the Wiltern Theatre of the 2004 Shortlist Awards concert featuring Shortlist nominees and special guests. Apart from providing a $10,000 check, XM will present the 2004 Shortlist of Music Prize winner with a special program dedicated solely to that artist or band for broadcast on XM.

Associate Sponsor CARGO Magazine will be hosting the official Green Room at the Wiltern – allowing the nominees and artists who attend to select from a variety of gifts from the magazine and advertisers. When the concert concludes, CARGO and Shortlist of Music will be co-hosting the exclusive VIP after-party to entertain the cultural tastemakers. “CARGO is extremely excited about sponsoring the Shortlist Awards Concert and hosting the exclusive Green Room and VIP after-party. Just as Shortlist explores the music landscape to present the very best in emerging music, CARGO magazine is a recommendation engine for the best options in fashion, technology and electronics, automotive, spirits and grooming. We’re honored to support these groundbreaking musicians and celebrate their artistry,” said Alan Katz, Vice President and Publisher of CARGO magazine

The annual Shortlist Music Prize was founded in 2001 by industry veterans Greg Spotts and Tom Sarig to create opportunities for emerging left-of-center culture, and is presented by The Shortlist Organization.

FOR THIS YEAR’S LONGLIST, AS WELL AS MORE INFORMATION REGARDING PAST AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS HIT UP: www.shortlistofmusic.com
 

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