2024

Twitter/X - @PenderynPrize

'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 10th year.

The Long List Launch Party will be at The Boogaloo, Highgate, London on the 6th March 2024

The winner was announced at the Laugharne Weekend on 2pm, Sunday 17th March 2024

The winner was Michael Cragg for his book:
'Reach For The Stars'
Published in the UK by Nine Eight Books

More pics, videos, quotes to follow

Michael Cragg (winning author):
“I know it’s a cliche but I was genuinely happy just to have been nominated for this prestigious prize, so to actually win it is pretty overwhelming. I’ve never won anything before outside of a high jump medal at school. Reach For The Stars is about a great moment for UK pop that was often overlooked, or dismissed, so to help shine a light on its brilliance again feels very special. I want to say a huge thank you to Penderyn for celebrating music books so voraciously, and to the Laugharne Weekend for putting on such an incredible lineup of clever and funny people. I can’t believe my name has now joined this roll call of great authors, and I’m also proud that I’m helping to celebrate proper pop music (stream Girls Aloud’s Tangled Up album!)”

Pete Selby (Publishing Director Nine Eight Books):
“It has been an honour - as well as a lot of fun - to publish Michael’s work on UK Pop’s last hurrah at the turn of the century. I am delighted that the Penderyn prize have recognised the joy and exhilaration as well as heartache and pathos of this magnificent and genre defining book for the ages”

Video of the 2024 Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony
at the Laugharne Weekend
17th March 2024

Michael Cragg being interviewed by Richard Thomas, at the Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony

Previous Winners

2023
Bob Stanley - Let's Do It (Faber & Faber)

2022
Darryl W Bullock - The Velvet Maffia (Omnibus Press)

2021
Pete Paphides - Broken Greek (Quercus)

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)

2024 Long List - announced 12th Jan 2024

Reach For The Stars - Michael Cragg (Nine Eight)
I Thought I Heard You Speak - Audrey Golden (White Rabbit)
Too Late To Stop Now - Allan Jones (Caravel)
Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You - Lucinda Williams (Simon & Schuster UK)
Bee Gees: Children of The World - Bob Stanley (Nine Eight)
Nick Drake: A Life - Richard Morton Jack (John Murray)
Sonic Life - Thurston Moore (Faber)
Lead Sister, The Story of Karen Carpenter - Lucy O’Brien (Nine Eight)
Too Much Too Young - Daniel Rachel (White Rabbit)
Life’s a Gamble - Pauline Murray (Omnibus Press)
Paused in Cosmic Reflection - Robin Turner (White Rabbit)
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly Stone (White Rabbit)