Rina Sawayama says awards eligibility rules are being reviewed after Mercury Prize snub

British-Japanese singer is currently not eligible for Mercury Prize and Brit Awards despite living in the UK for 25 years

Rina Sawayama has announced that the rules keeping her from being eligible for the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards could be set to change.

Earlier this week, the British-Japanese singer revealed that her album SAWAYAMA had not been nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize because of a nationality clause in the rules for eligibility.

Describing how she cried when she found out she wasn’t eligible, the 29-year-old told Vice: “[As an immigrant], you get to a level when you don’t have to worry about your nationality and your status and whether you fit into this country.

“Things like that bring into sharp focus, like, whether I am even British. It’s just very upsetting.”

However, following a huge outpouring of support from her fans, who got the hashtag “SAWAYAMAISBRITISH” trending on Twitter, the singer revealed to BBC News on Friday (31 July) that she has been in contact with the British Phonographic Industry about reviewing the rules.

“I’m really, really happy,” she said. “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.”

Sawayama was born in Japan, but has lived in the UK for 25 continuous years on an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) visa.

Artists with British passports are eligible for the music awards, but Japan does not allow its citizens to have dual nationality. Sawayama explained she did not want to lose that side of her identity, saying: “My whole family lives in Japan. What if they get sick? I can’t risk any bar to any entry into Japan.”

Despite receiving critical acclaim, Sawayama’s self-titled debut album was seen by fans as a notable omission from last week’s Mercury Prize shortlist.

Before the issue surrounding the eligibility rules emerged, Elton John said that the singer had been “overlooked”.