The Shortlist was formed in the Summer of 2001 to honor the most adventurous and creative albums of the year across all genres of music, focusing on emerging artists rather than established hitmakers (it must have sold fewer than 500,000 copies). Previous winners include Sigur Rós in 2001 and N.E.R.D in 2002. A panel (including Cameron) have selected 86 nominees for this year’s award. Other “listmakers”, which also include filmmaker Spike Jonze, musicians Dave Matthews, Tori Amos, Chris Martin, Mos Def, Gwen Stefani, Tom Waits, Eryka Badu, journalists Josh Tyrangiel (Time) and Kim Osorio (The Source) and radio personality Nic Harcourt (KCRW-FM). The panel will whittle the list down to ten albums by the first week of September. The winning album will then be announced on October 16th at the Shortlist Music Prize award show at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
Here’s the ten albums that Cameron picked. This is his first year participating.
- Eels – Shootenanny
- Bright Eyes – Lifted
- Mogwai – Happy Songs for Happy People
- Damien Rice – O
- Mark Olson & The Creekdippers – Decembers Child
- Burnside Project – Networks Circuits Streams Harmonies
- Chip Taylor + Carrie Rodriguez – Lets Leave This Town
- Interpol – Turn Off the Bright Lights
- Kathleen Edwards – Failer
- Neko Case – Blacklisted
