Pulp missed out on Mercury prize for reason fans are still fuming about

Pulp's 1994 album His 'n' Hers was nominated for the Mercury Prize a year before Jarvis Cocker and co. would ultimately win the award, but missed out for a tragic reason

Ewan Gleadow Social News Reporter

07:57, 18 Apr 2025

UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 10: NAKED CITY, LINFORD HOUSE STUDIOS Photo of Jarvis COCKER and PULP and Russell SENIOR and Steve MACKEY, L-R: Russell Senior, Jarvis Cocker, Steve Mackey - performing on TV show (Photo by Des Willie/Redferns)

Pulp's fourth studio album missed out on an awards win for a tragic reason (file)(Image: Des Willie, Redfernsvia Getty Images)

A classic album by the cherished British band Pulp narrowly missed a Mercury Prize win due to heart-wrenching circumstances.

The group, with Jarvis Cocker at the helm, would win the prestigious award just a year later; however, their initial encounter with recognition was dashed in a close-fought contest for the top spot.

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Formed in 1978, Pulp toiled for more than a decade in gigs and recordings before breaking into the Top 40 singles chart in 1994.

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Although it wasn't their debut success on the charts, this marked their first significant nod from major awards with 'His 'n' Hers,' released on this day in 1994, earning them their inaugural Mercury Prize nomination.

Despite not securing the Mercury Prize that time, they went on to produce some of the most iconic anthems of the '90s, including hits like 'Common People', 'This is Hardcore', and 'Disco 2000'.

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Supporters have been reminiscing about the first occasion when Pulp received a Mercury Prize nomination for Album of the Year – and they recalled how the contest for the accolade was incredibly close.

M People's 'Elegant Slumming' took home the award, but the Mercury Prize acknowledgement for Pulp signified a major milestone for them. During an appearance on 'The White Room,' a UK-based rock programme, host Mark Radcliffe ruefully remarked that Pulp's 1994 seminal work, 'His 'n' Hers,' lost the Mercury Prize by "one measly vote".

But thankfully, the band didn't have to stay disappointed for long. Just two years following 'His 'n' Hers', they won the coveted Album of the Year award for 'Different Class' at the Mercury Prize.

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Jarvis Cocker performs during the Pulp concert at Kings Theatre on September 14, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)

Pulp will return with eighth studio album, More, later this year (file)(Image: Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone via Getty Images)

That year, their success continued as they received accolades for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for 'Common People' at the Ivor Novello Awards, and Best Live Act at the NME Awards.

A separate conversation amongst fans marking the 30th anniversary of 'His 'n' Hers' last year saw some argue that it might even outrank their Mercury Prize-winning 'Different Class'. One fan commented: "I prefer this album over Different Class. Babies is a Britpop classic."

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A fan commented on the production style of Pulp's album, saying: "I know the production can be a bit divisive among Pulp fans (I like that it gives a bit of a dreamier quality, contrasts nicely with their later sound), but the only blemish in the album to me is that they left some of their best songs of their career in the B-sides."