@PenderynPrize
2021 Prize Winner
Video of the Prize Ceremony at the Laugharne Weekend
3rd October 2021
'The Mercury Prize of Books' - NME
The Penderyn Music Book Prize is the only UK-based book prize specifically for music titles including history, theory, biography, autobiography. It is now in its 7th year.
The 2021 Long List was announced at The Boogaloo, Highgate, London on Monday 6th September.
The winner was announced at the Laugharne Weekend on Sunday 3rd October 2021.
The winner was Pete Paphides for his book:
'Broken Greek'
Published in the UK by Quercus
Prize presented by Mike Wheeler of Penderyn.
The 2021 Long List was announced at The Boogaloo, Highgate, London on Monday 6th September.
The winner was announced at the Laugharne Weekend on Sunday 3rd October 2021.
The winner was Pete Paphides for his book:
'Broken Greek'
Published in the UK by Quercus
Prize presented by Mike Wheeler of Penderyn.
Pete Paphides, winning author:
'My celebrations began the day I learned that Broken Greek to had made it onto the shortlist of nominees for the 7th Annual Penderyn Prize – among authors, musicians and broadcasters whose work has been a lifetime source of joy, education and inspiration to me. So, for the book to have been judged the winner is frankly mind-blowing. Heartfelt thanks to everyone on the panel and to the good folk of Penderyn Whisky, for everything they do, year after year, to draw attention to the wealth of great music writing that flourishes in this country.'
***
'Literally just returned from the dreamlike weekender that is the Laugharne Festival – three days in Dylan Thomas country catching up with old friends and exchanging stories with a bunch of new pals too. This is also where they announce the winner of the Penderyn Prize for the music book of the year. To have even been in the running for an award whose previous winners have included Jon Savage, Shirley Collins and Mark Lewisohn was mind-blowing. But to have won the thing is just the stuff of dreams.
From where I was standing, winging my way through an acceptance speech, I could see Will Sergeant in the audience – Will Sergeant whose guitar playing in Echo & The Bunnymen was a daily soundtrack in our house back in 1981 and 1982. A few seats away were Stephen and Gillian from New Order, which merely compounded the hallucinatory patina that events had taken on in that moment. Thank you so much to Richard Thomas for an amazing weekend and for the considerable part he plays in presiding over the Penderyn Prize deliberations. Thank you all. xxx'
Previous Winners
2020
Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow - Up Jumped The Devil - The Real Life of Robert Johnson (Omnibus)
2019
Shirley Collins - 'All In The Downs' (Strange Attractor)
2018
Stuart Cosgrove - 'Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul' (Polygon)
2017
Daniel Rachel - 'Walls Come Tumbling Down' (Picador)
2016
Jon Savage - '1966: The Year The Decade Exploded' (Faber)
2015
Mark Lewisohn - ‘The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In' (Little, Brown)
2020
Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow - Up Jumped The Devil - The Real Life of Robert Johnson (Omnibus)
2019
Shirley Collins - 'All In The Downs' (Strange Attractor)
2018
Stuart Cosgrove - 'Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul' (Polygon)
2017
Daniel Rachel - 'Walls Come Tumbling Down' (Picador)
2016
Jon Savage - '1966: The Year The Decade Exploded' (Faber)
2015
Mark Lewisohn - ‘The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In' (Little, Brown)
2021 Short List - announced 27th September 2021
Sing Backwards and Weep - Mark Lanegan (White Rabbit)
Fast Forward - Stephen Morris (Constable)
Jimmy Page Anthology - Jimmy Page (Genesis)
Ornette Coleman: The Territory and The Adventure - Maria Golia (Reaktion)
Broken Greek - Pete Paphides (Quercus)
A New Day Yesterday - Mike Barnes (Omnibus)
Fast Forward - Stephen Morris (Constable)
Jimmy Page Anthology - Jimmy Page (Genesis)
Ornette Coleman: The Territory and The Adventure - Maria Golia (Reaktion)
Broken Greek - Pete Paphides (Quercus)
A New Day Yesterday - Mike Barnes (Omnibus)
2021 Long List - announced 6th September 2021
at The Boogaloo in Highgate
Overpaid, Oversexed and Over There - David Hepworth (Transworld)
It Takes Blood and Guts - Skin (Simon & Schuster)
Hey Hi Hello - Annie Nightingale (White Rabbit)
Adventures in Wonderland - Sheryl Garratt (TCL)
Sing Backwards and Weep - Mark Lanegan (White Rabbit)
Fast Forward - Stephen Morris (Constable)
Jimmy Page Anthology - Jimmy Page (Genesis)
Believe in Magic - Robin Turner (White Rabbit)
Ornette Coleman: The Territory and The Adventure - Maria Golia (Reaktion)
Broken Greek - Pete Paphides (Quercus)
A New Day Yesterday - Mike Barnes (Omnibus)
Sweet Dreams - Dylan Jones (Faber & Faber)
It Takes Blood and Guts - Skin (Simon & Schuster)
Hey Hi Hello - Annie Nightingale (White Rabbit)
Adventures in Wonderland - Sheryl Garratt (TCL)
Sing Backwards and Weep - Mark Lanegan (White Rabbit)
Fast Forward - Stephen Morris (Constable)
Jimmy Page Anthology - Jimmy Page (Genesis)
Believe in Magic - Robin Turner (White Rabbit)
Ornette Coleman: The Territory and The Adventure - Maria Golia (Reaktion)
Broken Greek - Pete Paphides (Quercus)
A New Day Yesterday - Mike Barnes (Omnibus)
Sweet Dreams - Dylan Jones (Faber & Faber)