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 11th year.
The Long List Launch Party will be at The Boogaloo, Highgate, London on the Tuesday 18th March 2025
The winner is announced at the Laugharne Weekend at 12pm, Saturday 29th March 2025
The 2025 winner was Will Hodgkinson for his book:
Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence
Published in the UK by Nine Eight Books
Will Hodgkinson (winning author)
'Winning the Penderyn Prize is the highlight of my career in writing. I love music books in general, I’m so pleased there is an award to shine a light on them, and that Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence could make it onto the long list, then the short list, then actually win is frankly remarkable. This is a book about an obscure cult figure who wanted to be famous, it isn’t a conventional memoir but a fiction-inspired observation on someone who is at odds with and yet trapped in reality, and any creative writing degree lecturer would tell you the structure is all over the place. When I look at the scope of shortlisted books, however, I can see how the prize is there to prove that music writing can be as creative, experimental and far-reaching as any other genre. Thank you so much. Now to a savour a glass of Penderyn whisky and a good book.'
Press Release
Pics of the Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony
at the Laugharne Weekend
29th March 2025
Video of the Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony
at the Laugharne Weekend
29th March 2025
2025 Shortlist - announced 19th March 2025
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music – Joe Boyd (Faber & Faber)
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence - Will Hodgkinson (Night Eight Books)
Hip Hop is History - Questlove (White Rabbit Books)
Two-Headed Doctor: Listening For Ghosts in Dr. Johns Gris-Gris - David Toop (Strange Attractor Press)
Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life - Richard King (Faber & Faber)
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool - James Kaplan (Penguin Press)
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence - Will Hodgkinson (Night Eight Books)
Hip Hop is History - Questlove (White Rabbit Books)
Two-Headed Doctor: Listening For Ghosts in Dr. Johns Gris-Gris - David Toop (Strange Attractor Press)
Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life - Richard King (Faber & Faber)
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool - James Kaplan (Penguin Press)
2025 Long List - announced 27th Jan 2025
My Family and Other Rock Stars – Tiffany Murray (Fleet)
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music – Joe Boyd (Faber & Faber)
Never Understood: The Jesus and Mary Chain – James Reid and William Reid (White Rabbit)
Postcards from Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983-1995 - Grant McPhee (Omnibus Press)
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence - Will Hodgkinson (Night Eight Books)
Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies - John Masouri (Omnibus Press)
Hip Hop is History - Questlove (White Rabbit Books)
Two-Headed Doctor: Listening For Ghosts in Dr. Johns Gris-Gris - David Toop (Strange Attractor Press)
To Ease My Troubled Mind: The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish - Ted Kessler (White Rabbit)
Searching for Dexys Midnight Runners - Nige Tassell (Nine Eight Books)
The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture - Jon Savage (Faber & Faber)
Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life - Richard King (Faber & Faber)
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys (Genesis Publications)
Connection is a Song: Coming Up and Coming Out Through the Music of the '90s - Anna Doble (Nine Eight Books)
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool - James Kaplan (Penguin Press)
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music – Joe Boyd (Faber & Faber)
Never Understood: The Jesus and Mary Chain – James Reid and William Reid (White Rabbit)
Postcards from Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983-1995 - Grant McPhee (Omnibus Press)
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence - Will Hodgkinson (Night Eight Books)
Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies - John Masouri (Omnibus Press)
Hip Hop is History - Questlove (White Rabbit Books)
Two-Headed Doctor: Listening For Ghosts in Dr. Johns Gris-Gris - David Toop (Strange Attractor Press)
To Ease My Troubled Mind: The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish - Ted Kessler (White Rabbit)
Searching for Dexys Midnight Runners - Nige Tassell (Nine Eight Books)
The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture - Jon Savage (Faber & Faber)
Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life - Richard King (Faber & Faber)
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys (Genesis Publications)
Connection is a Song: Coming Up and Coming Out Through the Music of the '90s - Anna Doble (Nine Eight Books)
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool - James Kaplan (Penguin Press)
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2025 Judges
Lucy O’Brien
Lucy is a writer and journalist whose work includes highly acclaimed biographies of Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter.
James Brown
In a long journalistic career James has been deputy editor of NME and editor of Loaded and GQ. His books have included ‘Animal House’ and ‘Above Head Height'.
Helen O’Hara
Helen first came to prominence as the violinist with Dexys Midnight Runners and she currently plays with Tanita Tikaram and Tim Burgess. She published her memoir ‘What’s She Like?’ in 2023.
Allan Jones
Allan has been editor of both Melody Maker and Uncut. His two books of music memoirs have been published by Bloomsbury.
Paul Hutton
Paul has been promoting live concerts for over 40 years working with the likes of Nick Cave, Patti Smith and Pulp.
Bob Stanley
Bob is a musician and writer. He performs with Saint Etienne and his book ‘Lets Do It’ won The Penderyn Prize in 2023.
Lucy is a writer and journalist whose work includes highly acclaimed biographies of Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter.
James Brown
In a long journalistic career James has been deputy editor of NME and editor of Loaded and GQ. His books have included ‘Animal House’ and ‘Above Head Height'.
Helen O’Hara
Helen first came to prominence as the violinist with Dexys Midnight Runners and she currently plays with Tanita Tikaram and Tim Burgess. She published her memoir ‘What’s She Like?’ in 2023.
Allan Jones
Allan has been editor of both Melody Maker and Uncut. His two books of music memoirs have been published by Bloomsbury.
Paul Hutton
Paul has been promoting live concerts for over 40 years working with the likes of Nick Cave, Patti Smith and Pulp.
Bob Stanley
Bob is a musician and writer. He performs with Saint Etienne and his book ‘Lets Do It’ won The Penderyn Prize in 2023.
Previous Winners
2024
Michael Cragg - Reach For The Stars ( Nine Eight Books)
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
Michael Cragg - Reach For The Stars ( Nine Eight Books)
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)
Pics of the 11th Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony
at the Laugharne Weekend
30th March 2025
Video of the 11th Penderyn Music Book Prize Ceremony
at the Laugharne Weekend
30th March 2025
