U.K.-based alternative rock artist Nick Cave — recent winner of the 2008 ARIA Award for best male artist (Billboard.biz, Oct. 20) — will present the 2008 Turner Prize at the annual award ceremony, held at Tate Britain on Dec. 1. The presentation will be broadcast live on Channel 4 news.
Last year’s prize was presented by Dennis Hopper.
The artists shortlisted for the prize, which celebrates new developments in contemporary art, this year include Runa Islam, Mark Leckey, Goshka Macuga and Cathy Wilkes. An exhibition of their work runs at the Tate until Jan. 18 2009.
In related news, Cave is currently working with Warren Ellis on the film score for “The Road” and his second novel, “The Death of Bunny Munro,” is to be released in Sept. 2009 through Canongate.
He will also be keeping himself busy with six additional dates for the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds U.K. tour on Nov. 23-30.
Mute will be re-issuing the first four albums by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “From Her to Eternity,” “The Firstborn is Dead,” “Kicking Against the Pricks” and “Your Funeral, My Trial” — in March 2009.
The material will be digitally re-mastered and remixed in 5.1 surround sound, and released in a double disc package with the original album, a short film by U.K. artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, b-sides and exclusive sleeve notes.
