Mercury Prize winners call for funding across UK

Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective have said music funding needs to diversify away from London to make more opportunities elsewhere in the UK.

The London-based Jazz quintet, who won the prestigious music prize last week, were the ninth consecutive winners to come from the capital.

In total, three-quarters of the year’s twelve nominations were from London.

Bandleader Femi Koleoso told the BBC focus on music from the capital is due to funding.

“If we were to diversify that, the list would diversify,” he said.

“I celebrate places like East London Arts and Music, The Brit School and all the brilliant things in London that allow people like us to exist.”

“But at the same time I'd love to see it replicated elsewhere in the UK and then you might have 10, 12 nominees from different regions.”

During the band’s acceptance speech last week, Koleoso paid tribute to “special people putting time and effort into [helping] young people to play music”.

“This is a special moment for every single organisation across the country ploughing their efforts and time into young people playing music,” he added.

“Let me tell you something really serious – we've got something special in the UK. We've got something special by way of young musicians, so let's continue to support that.”