The Irish singer-songwriter spoke to NME to weigh up the competition, tells us about her 'Brat' summer along with progress on new material, and why "there’s a real conversation that needs to be had about the industry’s ambivalence towards what’s going on in Gaza" CMAT has spoken to NME about being nominated for the Mercury Prize 2024 , as well as more music industry action being required over the situation in Palestine. The Irish singer-songwriter (real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) was speaking to us on the red carpet at the launch of the Mercury Prize yesterday (Thursday July 25), where she was shortlisted for album of the year for the acclaimed ‘Crazymad, For Me’ – alongside Charli XCX, English Teacher, Ghetts, Beth Gibbons, BERWYN, Corinne Bailey Rae and more . “Of all the things that have happened this year, this feels the most important, special and surreal,” Thompson told NME .
“I’ve watched the Mercury Prize, listened to all the albums that get nominated and have followed it for years. I used to watch the stream as a teenager. I remember when Wolf Alice won : I was living in Manchester and it was really exciting.
“It’s weird to be here and be one of them. I feel like I’m in Miss America. It’s crazy.
” CMAT also plays Latitude this weekend, after being among the artists to boycott the Suffolk festival due to its sponsorship from Barclays in solidarity with Palestine. After a number of artists pulled out over to the bank’s ties to Israel.