Mercury Prize 2014 The real Mercury Prize winners and losers

Fancy gowns, grey-haired mentors, and that one awkwardly-shuffling attendee whose suit really could do with a couple of inches off the shoulders – the Mercury Prize is essentially the music world’s equivalent of a high school prom. Alright, so your English teacher’s initials may not have been emblazoned in 30-foot tall columns of fire, but amongst all the boozing and schmoozing the annual accolade’s ceremony is as much a celebration of the future as a reward for past endeavours.

Of course not everyone shares the same degree of success come graduation, and as some alumni of the British Phonographic Industry’s yearly knees-up can testify, the gong is no sure-fire recipe for fame and fortune. Ms. Dynamite declared her prize a “curse” after winning the 2002 award, and Damon Albarn requested Gorillaz’s nomination in 2001 be withdrawn due to similar fears.

With that in mind, it’s time for a little catch-up – the metaphorical Facebook stalk of British music’s ‘Most Likely To Succeed’, as we delve into the aftermath of the award and the influence that lingers long after its guests have shifted their hangovers.