Rina Sawayama: 'BPI reviewing music prize rules'
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:56 pm
Mercury prize, let Rina Sawayama compete I say. The 29-year-old has lived in the UK since she was only 4 years old, she is decent law abiding young lady , works here, pays her taxes etc and has fully integrated into the British way of life, speaks perfect English and has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, which gives her permanent residency and the right to work.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53607936
As she herself says,
'"I've literally lived here for 25 years, all I know is living in London," Rina says. "This record is in English. I released it through a UK label. My team is UK-based and I don't just want my work to be considered, I also want the so-many people who worked on this record to be considered."
Japan does not allow dual citizenship and Rina has considered renouncing her Japanese passport in order to gain British citizenship.
But due to cost - £2,500 - the time it takes, and the fact that you have to give up your passport for a while, Rina chose not to.
"It's also a thing of, my whole family lives in Japan. What if they get sick? I can't risk any bar to any entry into Japan."
She adds that for some people citizenship is "their only connection to their motherland, only connection to their family".
"And I really don't think for an award show that's something that people should even think about giving up."
Rina says she hadn't planned to say anything about the fact she's ineligible. But when nominations for the Mercury Prize came out both the Guardian and the BBC wrote that Rina had been snubbed, and Elton John posted about her on Instagram.
British-Japanese pop star Rina Sawayama has been told rules that stopped her being eligible for Mercury Prize nominations will be reviewed.
The singer has lived in the UK for 25 years but is ruled out of some of the country's biggest music prizes because she doesn't hold a British passport.
Her story inspired a social media campaign.
The body that organises the awards has previously said it aims to be as "inclusive as possible".
Both the Hyundai Mercury Prize and the Brit Awards are organised by the BPI.
Rina's told Radio 1 Newsbeat she's spoken to the BPI - and says they've told her they're looking at making changes. But there's been no new official statement yet.
"I'm really, really happy," she says.
"I just want all the little Rinas around the world who immigrate to the UK as children, for whatever reason, to feel as though they can achieve greatness through just hard work and also be awarded for it."
i-D Meets: Rina Sawayama
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53607936
As she herself says,
'"I've literally lived here for 25 years, all I know is living in London," Rina says. "This record is in English. I released it through a UK label. My team is UK-based and I don't just want my work to be considered, I also want the so-many people who worked on this record to be considered."
Japan does not allow dual citizenship and Rina has considered renouncing her Japanese passport in order to gain British citizenship.
But due to cost - £2,500 - the time it takes, and the fact that you have to give up your passport for a while, Rina chose not to.
"It's also a thing of, my whole family lives in Japan. What if they get sick? I can't risk any bar to any entry into Japan."
She adds that for some people citizenship is "their only connection to their motherland, only connection to their family".
"And I really don't think for an award show that's something that people should even think about giving up."
Rina says she hadn't planned to say anything about the fact she's ineligible. But when nominations for the Mercury Prize came out both the Guardian and the BBC wrote that Rina had been snubbed, and Elton John posted about her on Instagram.
British-Japanese pop star Rina Sawayama has been told rules that stopped her being eligible for Mercury Prize nominations will be reviewed.
The singer has lived in the UK for 25 years but is ruled out of some of the country's biggest music prizes because she doesn't hold a British passport.
Her story inspired a social media campaign.
The body that organises the awards has previously said it aims to be as "inclusive as possible".
Both the Hyundai Mercury Prize and the Brit Awards are organised by the BPI.
Rina's told Radio 1 Newsbeat she's spoken to the BPI - and says they've told her they're looking at making changes. But there's been no new official statement yet.
"I'm really, really happy," she says.
"I just want all the little Rinas around the world who immigrate to the UK as children, for whatever reason, to feel as though they can achieve greatness through just hard work and also be awarded for it."
i-D Meets: Rina Sawayama