Shortlist Music Prize

The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under the name Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music,<ref name=two1/> the award was created by two music industry directors, Greg Spotts and Tom Serig, as an alternative to the commercial Grammy Awards.<ref name=PPG>Template:Cite news</ref> The recipient is chosen by a panel of entertainment industry members and journalists known as the "Listmakers". Over 50 of the best albums of the previous 12 months are picked before being narrowed down to the eponymous Shortlist, from which a winner is chosen. Since 2003, a gold statuette, nicknamed "The Shorty", has been given out in conjunction with the cash prize.<ref name=two3/> In 2005, the Shortlist Music Prize was renamed the New Pantheon award for a year following a dispute between the prize's founders.<ref name=two5/> No nominees or winners have been announced since the presentation of the 2007 award.<ref name=web>Template:Cite web</ref>

Modeled on the British Mercury Prize,<ref name=two3/> the Shortlist Music Prize was conceived to honor "the most adventurous and creative albums of the year across all genres of music".<ref name=two4/> At the end of 2001, Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós became the first recipients following a ceremony at the Hollywood Knitting Factory. Virgin Megastores sponsored the award during the inaugural year.<ref name=two1/> The Shortlist Music Prize's format continued in similar fashion the following years, but at different venues. Tower Records opened an online store for the award, which included CD samplers of each year's nominated acts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The majority of the seven winners so far have been singer-songwriters: Irishman Damien Rice won in 2003,<ref name=two3/> Americans Sufjan Stevens and Cat Power were successful in 2005 and 2006, respectively,<ref name=two5/><ref name=two6/> and Canadian Feist won in 2007.<ref name=two7/> Three winning albums eligible at the time of nomination—N.E.R.D's In Search of..., Rice's O, and Feist's The Reminder—went on to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States and achieved gold certification.<ref>Template:Cite web Note: User search required.</ref> N.E.R.D received the accolade between the time of nomination and the award ceremony.<ref name=two2/>

The Shortlist Music Prize quickly became an anticipated event and a coveted award.<ref name=BG>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=USA>Template:Cite web</ref> It provided an artistic and independent music focus in contrast to the Grammys' major label or chart rankings affiliations.<ref name=BG/> The 2003 and 2004 Shortlist Music Prize ceremonies were shown on MTV2 in recorded format.<ref name=two3/><ref name=two4/> In 2005, Sarig started using the New Pantheon name after co-founder Spotts left to focus on politics. The 2005 award ceremony was pushed back from the end of the year to March 2006 to coincide with the Grammys; it was eventually canceled because of "logistical reasons" and winner Stevens was given his prize informally. After threatening legal action for the continuation of the Short List brand under the New Pantheon guise,<ref name=two5/> Spotts returned and purchased both trademarks, uniting the two titles under the Shortlist Music Prize.<ref name=dispute>Template:Cite web</ref> The award ceremony continued to be held in the early part of years until the last given prize for 2007.<ref name=two7/>

Winners and shortlisted nominees

All-male group on stage, containing two MCs, two keyboardists, and a guitarist. Some of the crowd with hands in the air present in the foreground

2001 winner, Sigur Rós

All-male group on stage, containing two MCs, two keyboardists, and a guitarist. Some of the crowd with hands in the air present in the foreground

2002 winner, N.E.R.D

2003 winner, Damien Rice

2004 winner, TV on the Radio

2005 winner, Sufjan Stevens

2006 winner, Cat Power

2007 winner, Feist

Year	Winner	Album	Shortlisted nominees and albums	Refs
2001	Sigur Rós	Ágætis byrjun	Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker Bilal – 1st Born Second Nikka Costa – Everybody Got Their Something The Dandy Warhols – Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia Gorillaz – Gorillaz PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea Jay Dee – Welcome 2 Detroit Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek – Reflection Eternal	<ref name=two1>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name=web/>
2002	N.E.R.D	In Search of...	Aphex Twin – Drukqs The Avalanches – Since I Left You Björk – Vespertine Cee-Lo – Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections DJ Shadow – The Private Press Doves – The Last Broadcast The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots The Hives – Veni Vidi Vicious Zero 7 – Simple Things	<ref name=web/> <ref name=two2>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003	Damien Rice	O	The Black Keys – Thickfreakness Bright Eyes – Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground Cat Power – You Are Free Cody ChesnuTT – The Headphone Masterpiece Floetry – Floetic Interpol – Turn On the Bright Lights Sigur Rós – ( ) The Streets – Original Pirate Material Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell	<ref name=two3>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name=web/>
2004	TV on the Radio	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes	Air – Talkie Walkie Buckethead – Bucketheadland 2 Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand Ghostface Killah – The Pretty Toney Album The Killers – Hot Fuss Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose Nellie McKay – Get Away from Me Wilco – A Ghost Is Born	<ref name=web/> <ref name=two4>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005	Sufjan Stevens	Illinois	Animal Collective – Feels Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine Arcade Fire – Funeral Bloc Party – Silent Alarm Death Cab for Cutie – Plans The Decemberists – Picaresque Kings of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak M.I.A. – Arular	<ref name=two5>Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name=web/>
2006	Cat Power	The Greatest	Band of Horses – Everything All the Time Beirut – Gulag Orkestar Bonnie 'Prince' Billy – The Letting Go Girl Talk – Night Ripper Hot Chip – The Warning Joanna Newsom – Ys Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope Spank Rock – YoYoYoYoYo Tom Waits – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards	<ref name=web/> <ref name=two6>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007	Feist	The Reminder	Arcade Fire – Neon Bible Burial – Untrue Justice – † LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver M.I.A. – Kala Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Robert Pollard – Standard Gargoyle Decisions Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War Wilco – Sky Blue Sky Working for a Nuclear Free City – Businessmen & Ghosts	<ref name=web/> <ref name=two7>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Mercury Prize (UK)
• Australian Music Prize (Australia)
• Choice Music Prize (Ireland)
• Polaris Music Prize (Canada)
• Prix Constantin (France)
• Nordic Music Prize (Nordic countries)