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Lisa Hannigan

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Lisa Hannigan
Hannigan performing in Los Angeles in 2017
Born
Lisa Margaret Hannigan[1]

(1981-02-12) 12 February 1981 (age 43)
Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland
EducationThe King's Hospital
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • composer
  • voice actress
Years active2001–present
Children1
Musical career
GenresIndie folk
Instruments
Labels
Websitelisahannigan.ie Edit this at Wikidata

Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: Sea Sew (2008), Passenger (2011), and At Swim (2016). Hannigan's music has received award nominations both in Ireland and the United States. Hannigan also received attention in North America for her role as Blue Diamond in Steven Universe, an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar.

Early life and education

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Hannigan was born in Dublin but grew up in Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland.[2] She attended primary school at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa[3] in Kilcloon, then attended The King's Hospital, a co-educational independent school at Palmerstown, Dublin,[4] then enrolled at Trinity College Dublin to study French and art history.[5]

Career

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While still in college, Hannigan met Damien Rice at a concert in Dublin in early 2001.[6][7] Rice enlisted Hannigan to sing on his 2002 album O and his later album 9, featured in the hit "9 Crimes". She toured with Rice as part of his band during that period,[6][8] lending vocal support and occasionally playing guitar, bass or drums.[6]

In 2007, Hannigan returned to Dublin and began a solo career.[7][8][9][2][10] Some of Hannigan's live recordings were made available through trading networks radio shows. These recordings included: "Willy" by Joni Mitchell, "Be My Husband" by Nina Simone (from the 1965 album Pastel Blues), "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin and "Love Hurts" by Boudleaux Bryant. Hannigan also performed live with her own band, called The Daisy Okell Quartet and contributed guest vocals to the recordings of Mic Christopher, The Frames and Herbie Hancock.

Sea Sew

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Lisa Hannigan's debut solo album, titled Sea Sew, was rehearsed in a barn in Thomastown and recorded in Dublin before being released in Ireland in September 2008.[11] The lead single, "Lille", was made available as a free Internet download and other tracks were available for preview on her Myspace page.[12] The sleeve featured needle-work by Hannigan.[13][14] Some music critics called the recording one of the best Irish albums of the year.[15][16]

Sea Sew received favourable reviews in the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.[2][17] The single "Lille" was released in August 2008 on Irish and American radio stations.[9] Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2008.[18] She was the opening act for singer-songwriter Jason Mraz on his 2008 U.S. tour.[19]

That year she appeared on the charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing and performed a duet of Mick Flannery's new song "Christmas Past" with Flannery on Tony Fenton's Christmas Special on Today FM.[20][21] In December 2008, she made her UK solo debut at St Johns Church in London.[22] Hannigan signed with ATO Records in the U.S., where her album was released in February 2009.[23]

Sea Sew was nominated for the Choice Music Prize and Best Irish Album at the Meteor Music Awards in January 2009.[24][25][26]

That year, Hannigan appeared on the American television shows The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Colbert Report.[2][8][27] In 2009, Hannigan also appeared on the BBC's Later... with Jools Holland, performing her song "I Don't Know".[8][28][29] Sea Sew rose in the UK charts following this appearance[citation needed] and she performed at Glastonbury 2009 music festival and went on tour later in the year.[22][29][30][31] She performed at the nomination ceremony and she was greeted by confused journalists wondering "Lisa who?".[11]

Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2009[2][32][33] Later in 2009, she toured the United States with David Gray and performed solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and London.[34] She then began a tour of Ireland to finish the year.[34] Hannigan's song "An Ocean and a Rock" was used in a 2009 Irish video supporting same-sex marriage entitled "Sinéad's Hand".[35] As part of an advertisement campaign for Oxfam's Make Trade Fair, Hannigan was drenched in melted chocolate and she participated in the Irish musical collective The Cake Sale with lead vocal on the track "Some Surprise", which was played on the US television series Grey's Anatomy.[6][36][37][38]

Hannigan also contributed to the 2009 charity album Sparks n' Mind, released in aid of Aware.[39]

In 2009, a broadcast of Other Voices was recorded.[40]

The songs "Lille" and "Braille" from this album were used in the film Ondine in 2009.[41]

Passenger

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Hannigan recorded her second album, Passenger, at Bryn Derwen Studios in North Wales with producer Joe Henry and engineer Ryan Freeland. The album was released in the US and Canada on 20 September 2011, and on 7 October in Ireland and the UK.[42][43]

Hannigan performed at the Eurosonic Festival in 2012 when Ireland was the "Spotlight Country".[44]

At Swim

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Hannigan announced that her third album was produced in collaboration with Aaron Dessner,[45] founding member of American indie rock band The National. The album entitled At Swim was released on 19 August 2016.[46] On 24 May 2016 Hannigan revealed a short teaser in relation to the album's launch.[47] "Prayer for the Dying" and "Ora" are two tracks which appeared among promotional material in the lead up to the release. Hannigan toured Ireland extensively in the lead up to the album release. "Prayer for the Dying" appeared on digital streaming services in June 2016.[48] The album was positively received by several newspapers, including The Guardian, which awarded it four out of five stars, commenting on Hannigan's "crystal vocals" and the album's "stunningly pretty songs with quietly powerful undertones",[49] and the Evening Standard, which also awarded four out of five stars and mentioned the "new-found accessibility" the album represented.[50] The Telegraph noted the album to be "subtle and gauzy but loaded with emotion", and calls Hannigan's voice "an incredible instrument, drawing on both opera and folk, with a softness and intimacy".[51]

Work With Aaron Dessner and The National

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In 2016, Aaron Dessner produced Hannigan's album At Swim and also began featuring her on other projects he produced. She contributed backing vocals to The National album Sleep Well Beast, was a featured vocalist on four tracks on their I Am Easy to Find, and was an additional artist on First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

In 2023, Hannigan was a backing vocalist on two tracks on Ed Sheeran's album -, also produced by Dessner.

Soundtracks and film work

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Hannigan at Halfway Festival 2014 in Białystok, Poland.

In 2004, Hannigan credited on soundtrack for Closer (song: "Cold Water", arranged and performed by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, featuring Vyvienne Long).

In 2007, Hannigan credited on soundtrack for Shrek the Third (song: "9 Crimes", performed by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan).

In 2009, Hannigan credited on soundtrack for Ondine (songs: "Braille", "Lille", written and performed by Lisa Hannigan).[41]

In 2013, Hannigan provided vocals to the soundtrack for Alfonso Cuarón's film Gravity and performed a cover of Richard Hawley's "You Haunt Me" for the film Another Me.

In 2014, Hannigan contributed vocals along with John Smith for the Steven Price conducted soundtrack for the Brad Pitt blockbuster Fury.

In 2014, she voiced the character of Bronagh, the Selkie mother of the main characters in the animated film Song of the Sea, and provided several songs to the film's soundtrack.

In 2015, she sang a version of "Danny Boy" for the seventh episode of the second season of Fargo.

In 2017, she started voicing the character Blue Diamond for the television series Steven Universe which was made by Rebecca Sugar. She also performed a cover of David Bowie's "Oh! You Pretty Things" for the closing credits of the sixth episode of the first season of Legion.

In 2018, she arranged and performed a version of the traditional Irish song "Weile Weile Waile" for the soundtrack of the movie The Hole in the Ground.

In 2019, she reprised her role as Blue Diamond for the television film Steven Universe: The Movie. In 2020, she returned to the role once more in the follow-up series Steven Universe Future.

In 2023, Hannigan covered Britney Spears' song "Toxic" for season 5, episode 8 of Fargo.[52]

Other work

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In 2020, Hannigan was part of an Irish collective of female singers and musicians called "Irish Women in Harmony", that recorded a version of the song "Dreams" in aid of the charity Safe Ireland, which deals with domestic abuse which had reportedly risen significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown.[53][54]

Reception

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Her music has received critical praise, airplay and award nominations both in her native Ireland and the United States. In 2008, her debut album Sea Sew spawned the single "Lille", a Choice Music Prize nomination, two Meteor Music Awards nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination.[55][56][57]

Hannigan performs using "broken-down, wheezy old instruments".[8] Herbie Hancock said of her vocals, "there's so much jazz in the notes and phrases that she picks. She was singing the ninths, the elevenths of the chords...I mean some of the things sound like choices that Miles would have made."[58]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Lisa Hannigan discography
Further information: Damien Rice § Discography

Personal life

[edit]

Hannigan briefly studied English and art history at Trinity College Dublin. During her first week at university she became friends with Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice.[59] Hannigan eventually left university to travel with Rice across Europe.[citation needed]

Returning to Ireland, both Hannigan and Rice began to work together recording music, including songs like "Unplayed Piano" and "Once I Loved." Hannigan featured on Rice's first two solo albums and a number of EPs and live recordings. Both Irish artists toured for a number of years together and were in a relationship, but in 2007 Hannigan left Damien Rice and his band[60] the afternoon before a live show in Munich.[59][61] Rice released a statement saying that their professional relationship had "run its creative course" in March 2007.[62]

Returning to Dublin, from 2007 onward Hannigan began to focus on her solo career which to date has produced three solo albums. In 2015, Hannigan decided to move from Dublin to London to begin a new life, which involved beginning to write new material for her third studio album At Swim. She also started pursuing a part-time degree in English literature.

As of 2016, Hannigan planned to return to Dublin with her London-based husband following her At Swim tour of Europe and the US.[63][45] They have a son.[64]

Awards

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Hannigan performing at the Haldern Pop Festival in 2017

Hot Press Readers' Poll

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Hannigan has four Hot Press Readers' Poll awards. She won Best Debut Album, Best Irish Album, Best Irish Track and Best Female in 2009.[22]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Sea Sew Best Debut Album Won
2009 Sea Sew Best Irish Album Won
2009 "I Don't Know" Best Irish Track Won
2009 Lisa Hannigan Best Female Won

Choice Music Prize

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Hannigan's debut album, Sea Sew, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2009.[65]

Hannigan's second album, Passenger, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2012 and she also lost out to Jape that year.[66]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Sea Sew Irish Album of the Year 2008 Nominated
2012 Passenger Irish Album of the Year 2011 Nominated

Meteor Music Awards

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Hannigan and her work was nominated in the Best Irish Female and Best Irish Album categories at the Meteor Music Awards in 2009.[67] She was the only solo artist nominated in more than one category at the awards. She lost to Imelda May and The Script's self-titled album respectively.[68]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Sea Sew Best Irish Album Nominated
2009 Lisa Hannigan Best Irish Female Nominated

Mercury Prize

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Sea Sew was nominated for the Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.[69][70][71] It was Hannigan's first nomination.

Hannigan was referred to as 2009's "token folk nominee" in the UK,[36] with the NME calling her a "token folkie".[72] One British journalist even claimed she was "truly obscure" and part of the "moribund sensitive singer-songwriter genre".[36] Ed Power, writing in the Irish Independent, criticised such claims, wondering if Jape (whose album Ritual beat Hannigan to the Choice Music Prize) had come close to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".[36]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Sea Sew Best Album Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers: Lisa Margaret Hannigan: Pistachio writing credits". ASCAP. Retrieved 14 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hannigan shenanigans". The Irish Times. 2 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  3. ^ News Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa web site
  4. ^ "Performing Arts Music". The King's Hospital School. n.d. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Lisa Hannigan Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d "Lisa Hannigan". Other Voices. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Rice & Hannigan no longer working together". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d e Matthew Magee (8 May 2009). "Lisa Hannigan interview for her album 'See Sew'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
  9. ^ a b Ed Power (15 December 2008). "Lisa musters the chutzpah to go solo in spotlight". Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  10. ^ Nick Duerden (19 June 2005). "Damien Rice: The world's most reluctant pop star". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Champagne moment". The Irish Times. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009. 'It's been hell for me as they told me a few days ago because they wanted to me to perform at the nomination ceremony today [Tuesday], so I couldn't tell anyone in case they took it away from me,' says the 29-year-old from Co Meath. There were cries of 'Lisa who?' from the assembled British media throng – Hannigan was a surprise nomination".
  12. ^ "Lisa Hannigan heads out on US tour, confirms album date". Hot Press. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  13. ^ "Lisa Hannigan confirms album track-list". Hot Press. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  14. ^ "WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Lisa Hannigan Irish tour of small towns announced". Hot Press. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  15. ^ "He came, he busked, he conquered... How Hansard wooed Hollywood". Irish Independent. 27 December 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  16. ^ "2008 This year in music". Irish Independent. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  17. ^ John Meagher (21 November 2008). "Loaded: 21 November 2008". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  18. ^ "Electric Picnic line-up announced". muse.ie. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  19. ^ "Music: Jason Mraz * *". Irish Independent. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  20. ^ "Lisa's Duet with Mick Flannery". Official site of Lisa Hannigan. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  21. ^ John Meagher (12 December 2008). "Loaded: 12/12/2008". Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  22. ^ a b c "Lisa Hannigan's DEBUT Album 'Sea Sew' Shortlisted For Barclaycard Mercury Prize". Top40-Charts. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  23. ^ "We just wanted to let you know that the US release date has been postponed until 3 February". Official site of Lisa Hannigan. 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  24. ^ Neil Dunphy and Una Mullally (18 January 2009). "The Choicest cuts ...or are they?". Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  25. ^ "Meteor Awards 2009 – Presenter & Nominees Revealed". Hot Press. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  26. ^ "Meteor Music Awards nominees revealed". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  27. ^ Schlansky, Evan (10 March 2009). "Lisa Hannigan Gets the Colbert Bump". American Songwriter. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  28. ^ "Lisa Hannigan". BBC. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
  29. ^ a b "Lisa Hannigan moves up the UK charts". Hot Press. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  30. ^ "Irish bands tuning up for Glastonbury". The Irish Times. 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  31. ^ Foster, Patrick (22 July 2009). "Female solo artists dominate Mercury prize nominations". The Times. London. Retrieved 24 July 2009.[dead link]
  32. ^ "Nutty boys set for Electric Picnic". The Irish Times. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.[permanent dead link]
  33. ^ "Electric Picnic bill unveiled". Hot Press. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  34. ^ a b "Lisa Hannigan announces December dates". Hot Press. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  35. ^ "Irish gay marriage ad becomes a surprise internet hit: 04/09/09". Pink News. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  36. ^ a b c d Ed Power (25 July 2009). "Mercury is rising for our sensitive songbird". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  37. ^ "Side Projects". Eskimo Friends. Archived from the original on 10 July 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  38. ^ "The Cake Sale". Yep Roc Records. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  39. ^ "Springsteen, Pixies & Portishead covered for Irish charity album". Hot Press. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  40. ^ RTÉ Archive Archived 3 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine and it was pre announced at the time Tony Clayton-Lea (7 December 2009). "Snow Patrol back for novel gathering". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 January 2010. As well as the evening concerts in the 200-year-old St James's church, which has a capacity (approximately 80) that is far less than the frantic demand for tickets, one of the add-ons of the series is the filming of "sessions" in unusual locations. So far, these have included BellX1's Paul Noonan dueting with rising Irish singer, Lisa Hannigan, in Dún Chaoin (in a cottage owned by artist Marie Simmons Gooding), American band The Antlers performing in the locality's Celtic prehistoric museum, and Irish band Villagers in Dingle's cosy Goat Street Café.
  41. ^ a b "Ondine (2009) Soundtracks". IMDB. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  42. ^ "Lisa Hannigan - Passenger". Discogs. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  43. ^ "Lisa Hannigan - Passenger (US release)". Discogs. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  44. ^ "RTÉ 2fm gearing up for EuroSonic". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  45. ^ a b David Smyth (12 August 2016). "Lisa Hannigan, interview: 'I had to do something different. I wanted to feel unnerved'". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  46. ^ "irish music feed — .Music News: Is Lisa Hannigan To Drop New LP This". Irishmusicfeed.tumblr.com. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  47. ^ "irish music feed - .Music News: Lisa Hannigan Presents 'At Swim'". Irishmusicfeed.tumblr.com. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  48. ^ "At Swim by Lisa Hannigan on Apple Music". iTunes Store. 26 March 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  49. ^ "Lisa Hannigan: At Swim review – come on in, the water's lovely". TheGuardian.com. 26 August 2016.
  50. ^ Aizlewood, John (19 August 2016). "Lisa Hannigan - At Swim review: 'new-found accessibility'". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  51. ^ McCormick, Neil (16 August 2016). "Lisa Hannigan's beautiful At Swim is an album to drown in – review". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  52. ^ "Hear Lisa Hannigan cover Britney's 'Toxic' for the Fargo TV series". Nialler9. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  53. ^ Boland, Rosita (19 June 2020). "Irish Women in Harmony record Cranberries song in aid of Safe Ireland". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  54. ^ "Irish Women in Harmony". MCD.ie. n.d. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  55. ^ "Choice Music Prize Shortlist". Hot Press. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  56. ^ "Meteor Music Awards folks wake up and shut down website". The Irish Times. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  57. ^ "BBC - Mercury Prize 2009 - Lisa Hannigan". BBC. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  58. ^ Documentary film "Herbie Hancock: Possibilities", ©2006 HDNet Films LLC; ©2006 Magnolia Home Entertainment
  59. ^ a b "Lisa Hannigan MUSIC MONTH by Róisín Meets... | Free Listening on SoundCloud". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  60. ^ John Meagher (13 May 2014). "Damien Rice: hits, heartbreak and an eight-year silence". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  61. ^ "Lisa Hannigan on being dumped by Damien Rice and going solo - The Igloo". Eskimofriends.com. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  62. ^ "Lisa Hannigan And Damien Rice Part Ways". Stereogum.com. 26 March 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  63. ^ Catherine Conroy (4 August 2016). "Lisa Hannigan: 'I started to really lose sight of what the point of me was'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  64. ^ "Lisa Hannigan tells Lucy White how she's spending isolation - including performing a virtual gig for Other Voices". 7 May 2020.
  65. ^ "Loaded: 16/01/2009". Irish Independent. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  66. ^ "Choice Prize Shortlist Announced". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  67. ^ "Sharon Shannon to receive major award". The Irish Times. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  68. ^ "Top accolade for The Script". The Irish Times. 17 March 2009. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  69. ^ "Hannigan makes Mercury prize shortlist". The Irish Times. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.[permanent dead link]
  70. ^ "Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2009: Nominees announced". NME. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  71. ^ "'Eyes Open' shortlisted for Choice Music Prize!!!". Snow Patrol. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  72. ^ Luke Lewis (21 July 2009). "Mercury Nominations – Who's Been Overlooked". NME. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
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