When the winner of this year’s Mercury prize is announced in London next month, Harry Styles will be nowhere to be found. Rather than rub shoulders with fellow nominees, including the Oscar-nominated actor Jessie Buckley and acclaimed geordie singer-songwriter Sam Fender, the former One Direction member will be in New York, performing at Madison Square Garden as part of a critically acclaimed 15-show residency.
Most artists dream of the boost in popularity that comes with a Mercury win – not to mention the accompanying £25,000 cheque. But Styles, whose nominated album has sold about 100,000 more copies than its closest rival, Fender, is playing a different game.
