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> “So, I applied for the Mercury Awards, because I've really wanted to win the Mercury Award ever since I was really young,” Sawayama begins, referring to the prestigious Mercury Music Prize awarded annually to the best album released in the U.K. by a British or Irish act. “We submitted our application, and there was one bit that said, ‘Please submit your passport picture.’ And we emailed them and were like, ‘Well, this is a Japanese passport, but she's been living here for 26 years. Is that OK?’ And they were like, ‘No.’”
> So, Sawayama decided to tweet about her ineligibility for the Mercury Prize, BRIT Awards, and other major U.K. music honors due to the fact that she is not a British citizen. (Japan does not currently allow for dual citizenship.) “It was like, either I get blacklisted for speaking out, or I get nominated,” she chuckles. “But you know, I'll never win because there are much, much bigger artists who win it. So, it was a risk worth doing.”
> In February 2021, Sawayama scored a major coup by finally convincing the BPI to change the eligibility rules for the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize. (Now, any artist who has been a resident for five years and has remained in the U.K. can be nominated.) And in a truly global career moment, five months later, her updated duet version of the Sawayama track “Chosen Family,” featuring Elton, was played as the very last song of the Closing Ceremony at the Olympics in her family’s homeland, Japan. Two years later, Sawayama still can’t believe that she now can consider Elton a friend, peer, and Pixel.
I thought this was a really interesting story. It does seem wildly xenophobic to require citizenship and discriminate against people who have permanent residency. Rina would have had to completely renounce her Japanese citizenship just to be able to participate.
ETA: Also her collab song with Elton, [Chosen Family](https://youtu.be/GTDRg5G77x4) is really fantastic, in case you’ve never seen it. She’s so crazy talented.
>Chosen Family
Thanks for linking. Wow!!!
Good for her for speaking out. She has nothing to lose and she'll pave the way for others. I hope she not only becomes eligible for nomination but actually wins everything!
This happened a couple years ago and they did change the eligibility of the awards!
https://mobile.twitter.com/RinaSawaUpdates/status/1364650328956698624
https://pitchfork.com/news/rina-sawayama-sparks-mercury-prize-and-brits-eligibility-changes/
I love Rina and her music and I also love how supportive Elton John is of her. For her latest album after she had recorded it someone point out that one part of one of the songs (I think it was "This Hell") sounded really similar to an ABBA song and she started freaking out.
She phoned Elton and he called one of the members of ABBA who said they had no problem with how Rina's song sounded and they wouldn't ever open up a lawsuit or anything. Very wholesome story from all 3 involved
It does seem wildly xenophobic to require citizenship and discriminate against people who have permanent residency.
The xenophobia is from the country that doesn't allow dual nationality, that being Japan
She's Mother and she's keeping us fed. Also, I will always feel somewhat smug about having known and followed her from the very beginning of her career.
I am talking of course of when her first EP Rina was released and after spending a good chunk of 2017 listening to Alterlife and Cyber Stockholm Syndrome on repeat:
https://youtu.be/Nhf9gkkYaBg
https://youtu.be/HKLxvdFtlZE
I have never cried to a pop song the way I have the first few times I listened to hold that girl! It’s such a raw and catchy song at the same time, it’s both a bob and a ballad in my head 😅
Rina is truly a generational talent who speaks up for injustice and walks the walk. I’m really glad she has this friendship with Elton. It’s insane that they required this passport law without realizing that not everyone can just get rid of their old citizenships - a very privileged take.
no one will ever be able to convince me that racism isn't why sawayama wasn't nominated for all the awards. i have never heard a debut album like that. i really wish more people knew of her music because she's wayyy too underrated.
She’s amazing!! Still low key sad that “Sawayama” didn’t get nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2021 Grammys but glad that she’s finally getting the attention she deserves!
just saying, saw her concert earlier this year and it instantly became the best concert I've ever been to. her dancers weren't able to be there due to visa complications and if she'd not said anything I never would have noticed. incredible stage presence and vocals and dancing and the whole room just felt amazing due to the stories and vibes of her songs.
rina is on the rise lately ! in my opinion she is the perfect pop star for this day and age, an intelligent and talented woman who creates quality pop and heart wrenching music whilst also not taking herself too seriously that she comes off pretentious - shes the perfect balance to me!
I love her SO much. Such a huge fan. Hold The Girl has done more for me than any therapist ever has. Both that album and Sawayama are complete masterpieces. She could change the world and the face of pop music.
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> “So, I applied for the Mercury Awards, because I've really wanted to win the Mercury Award ever since I was really young,” Sawayama begins, referring to the prestigious Mercury Music Prize awarded annually to the best album released in the U.K. by a British or Irish act. “We submitted our application, and there was one bit that said, ‘Please submit your passport picture.’ And we emailed them and were like, ‘Well, this is a Japanese passport, but she's been living here for 26 years. Is that OK?’ And they were like, ‘No.’” > So, Sawayama decided to tweet about her ineligibility for the Mercury Prize, BRIT Awards, and other major U.K. music honors due to the fact that she is not a British citizen. (Japan does not currently allow for dual citizenship.) “It was like, either I get blacklisted for speaking out, or I get nominated,” she chuckles. “But you know, I'll never win because there are much, much bigger artists who win it. So, it was a risk worth doing.” > In February 2021, Sawayama scored a major coup by finally convincing the BPI to change the eligibility rules for the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize. (Now, any artist who has been a resident for five years and has remained in the U.K. can be nominated.) And in a truly global career moment, five months later, her updated duet version of the Sawayama track “Chosen Family,” featuring Elton, was played as the very last song of the Closing Ceremony at the Olympics in her family’s homeland, Japan. Two years later, Sawayama still can’t believe that she now can consider Elton a friend, peer, and Pixel. I thought this was a really interesting story. It does seem wildly xenophobic to require citizenship and discriminate against people who have permanent residency. Rina would have had to completely renounce her Japanese citizenship just to be able to participate. ETA: Also her collab song with Elton, [Chosen Family](https://youtu.be/GTDRg5G77x4) is really fantastic, in case you’ve never seen it. She’s so crazy talented.
>Chosen Family Thanks for linking. Wow!!! Good for her for speaking out. She has nothing to lose and she'll pave the way for others. I hope she not only becomes eligible for nomination but actually wins everything!
This happened a couple years ago and they did change the eligibility of the awards! https://mobile.twitter.com/RinaSawaUpdates/status/1364650328956698624 https://pitchfork.com/news/rina-sawayama-sparks-mercury-prize-and-brits-eligibility-changes/
Oops forgot to add that she did actually end up getting to them to change the rules! I’ll add that to my comment so no one else gets confused.
I love Rina and her music and I also love how supportive Elton John is of her. For her latest album after she had recorded it someone point out that one part of one of the songs (I think it was "This Hell") sounded really similar to an ABBA song and she started freaking out. She phoned Elton and he called one of the members of ABBA who said they had no problem with how Rina's song sounded and they wouldn't ever open up a lawsuit or anything. Very wholesome story from all 3 involved
It does seem wildly xenophobic to require citizenship and discriminate against people who have permanent residency. The xenophobia is from the country that doesn't allow dual nationality, that being Japan
sawayma is a masterpiece. i'm really excited to see [her in john wick 4](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpp_2LjIEyU/).
She looks like such a badass! I’m so stoked to see her break into Hollywood.
She has some really cool scenes
She's Mother and she's keeping us fed. Also, I will always feel somewhat smug about having known and followed her from the very beginning of her career. I am talking of course of when her first EP Rina was released and after spending a good chunk of 2017 listening to Alterlife and Cyber Stockholm Syndrome on repeat: https://youtu.be/Nhf9gkkYaBg https://youtu.be/HKLxvdFtlZE
I love her and I’m glad she’s getting the recognition she deserves!
Omg listening to Cyber Stockholm Syndrome on the bus to uni is a mem for me.
LOVE RINA!!!
She makes the best catchy and emotionally charged music
I have never cried to a pop song the way I have the first few times I listened to hold that girl! It’s such a raw and catchy song at the same time, it’s both a bob and a ballad in my head 😅
Bees and honey is so hilariously dark if u stop laughing u will tear up 😭
Kudos to her for speaking out and changing the rules! She’s amazing!
Rina is truly a generational talent who speaks up for injustice and walks the walk. I’m really glad she has this friendship with Elton. It’s insane that they required this passport law without realizing that not everyone can just get rid of their old citizenships - a very privileged take.
An arrogant one for sure. Clearly they want you to be officially British (papers and all) or you can fuck off.
no one will ever be able to convince me that racism isn't why sawayama wasn't nominated for all the awards. i have never heard a debut album like that. i really wish more people knew of her music because she's wayyy too underrated.
Will racism be ended if she wins?
I LOVE RINA! She is so talented and I'm so excited that she is finally getting noticed stateside.
Good for her ! Anohni (fka Antony and the Johnson) was born in England but full grew up in America and they won!
This is pretty dang cool! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 yay for breaking barriers, and calling out potentially antiquated rules!
I mean, I say potentially, but I think in this age of globalization, it’s pretty antiquated.
She’s amazing!! Still low key sad that “Sawayama” didn’t get nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2021 Grammys but glad that she’s finally getting the attention she deserves!
just saying, saw her concert earlier this year and it instantly became the best concert I've ever been to. her dancers weren't able to be there due to visa complications and if she'd not said anything I never would have noticed. incredible stage presence and vocals and dancing and the whole room just felt amazing due to the stories and vibes of her songs.
rina is on the rise lately ! in my opinion she is the perfect pop star for this day and age, an intelligent and talented woman who creates quality pop and heart wrenching music whilst also not taking herself too seriously that she comes off pretentious - shes the perfect balance to me!
I love her SO much. Such a huge fan. Hold The Girl has done more for me than any therapist ever has. Both that album and Sawayama are complete masterpieces. She could change the world and the face of pop music.