In July last year, Rina Sawayama came forward with unsettling news: her critically acclaimed album SAWAYAMA was ineligible for the Mercury Prize.
Specifically, the Japanese-British musician was barred from being nominated due to having indefinite leave to remain, a visa category which permits permanent residency and right to live and work. The Mercury Prize terms and conditions stipulate, however, that entrants must have a British or Irish passport in order to be considered.
Soon after, #SAWAYAMAISBRITISH began trending on Twitter and Rina encouraged the public to tweet and write to The Mercury Prize, as well as The Brits (which has similar stipulations) and Mercury Prize organiser BPI Music, to encourage them to reconsider their entry guidelines.
Now, via an announcement on Instagram, Rina has revealed that the efforts of her and her fans have been successful: now, artists will be able to enter both the Mercury Prize and Brits if they have been a resident of the UK for five years, regardless of their citizenship.
Rina, acknowledged this momentous change in her social media announcement, saying: “In my 26th year of living in the UK I’m so proud that I can help make this systemic change for future generations, so that in years to come we can see a more diverse definition of British musical excellence.”
Check out her statement below.
