NEWS

Mercury Prize: Self Esteem helps donate unused food from event to the homeless

After last night’s (September 8) 2022 Mercury Prize was postponed, nominee Self Esteem helped leftover food from the event be donated to the homeless in London.

Shortly before yesterday’s ceremony was set to begin at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, it was revealed that the event would no longer take place following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Self Esteem – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – who was nominated on the night for second album ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, then urged organisers of the event to “DONATE THE FUCKING FOOD” from the event, which was about to be served at the moment the evening was postponed, so needed to be used quickly.

Taylor then went on to tweet: “If anyone near the Hammersmith Apollo can collect hot food and blast chill it please reply or dm me for more info. The other food has been hooked up with the local church.”

A few hours later, Taylor then revealed that the food had been successfully transported to a restaurant in Covent Garden, who were then feeding homeless people on the streets of London with it.

“Ok we did it!!” she tweeted, thanking Amrit Maan, owner of the Punjab Covent Garden restaurant, for his help. “[Amrit] is picking it up and getting it in a freezer to be distributed tomorrow!!! Thanks Jackie Joseph for your help. And thanks Twitter for the rts! Everyone hit up Amrit’s restaurant in cov garden asap. Love you all.”

In response, Maan wrote: “Things change. The world reacts. When the Mercury Prize celebrations at Hammersmith Apollo were cancelled, @punjab1946 stepped in. Meals destined for guests will now feed hungry bellies on London’s rain soaked streets.”

The red carpet for the 2022 Mercury Prize had previously been cancelled after Buckingham Palace issued a statement earlier on Thursday, which said that “doctors [were] concerned for Her Majesty’s health” and had “recommended she remain under medical supervision”.

The London ceremony was due to be hosted by Lauren Laverne, and broadcast on BBC Four from 9pm-10.15pm and on BBC Radio 6 Music from 7pm-midnight.

In a statement, the Mercurys organisers said: “Tonight’s Mercury Prize event has been postponed at this time of great national sorrow. We know everyone involved in the Mercury Prize will understand.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family at this very difficult time. We will make an announcement regarding future arrangements as soon as we are able.”

12 albums had been shortlisted for this year’s Album Of The Year award including Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’, Little Simz’s ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’, Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’, Wet Leg’s self-titled album and Yard Act’s ‘The Overload’.