Ezra Collective by Aliyah Otchere
Ezra Collective were recognised at the ceremony last night.
‘The token jazz nominee’ is a trope almost as old as the award itself, but London-based group Ezra Collective have put that to bed by picking up the 2023 Mercury Prize for their second studio album Where I’m Meant to Be.
In doing so, they beat high profile competition from the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again…, drummer Femi Koleoso responding that their win, ‘represents something very special’:
This moment that we’re celebrating right here is testament to good, special people putting time and effort into young people to play music. This is not just a result for Ezra Collective, or for UK jazz, but this is a special moment for every single organisation across the country, ploughing efforts and time into young people playing music.