Barney Lister

Barney Lister
Born
John Barnabas Greenwell Lister

(1993-12-02) 2 December 1993 (age 32)
Huddersfield, England
Genres
Occupations
Label
Websitemrcyband.com

Barney Lister (born 2 December 1993) is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter hailing from Huddersfield, known for his eclectic production style and soulful sound. Lister has gained recognition through collaborations with artists including Jessie Ware, Obongjayar, Olivia Dean, Giggs, Joesef, Fred again, Joy Crookes, Yazmin Lacey, Guy Garvey, Rina Sawayama, and Celeste.

Lister is one half of the duo MRCY, alongside South London vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson. The duo released their debut project, VOLUME 1, on May 10, 2024. MRCY were named as ‘ones to watch’ in 2025 by the likes of Rolling Stone UK and DIY Magazine. They also won ‘Best Independent EP/Mixtape’ at the AIM Independent Music Awards that same year.

In 2024 MRCY supported Grammy nominated band Black Pumas as the opening act on their UK and European tour, and they also supported Durand Jones & The Indications in February 2026. MRCY are signed to record label Dead Oceans.

In 2023, Barney received a nomination for the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards for his work on Obongjayar’s album "Some Nights I Dream of Doors" which was nominated for Best Album. This recognition follows his previous success with Obongjayar, where their collaboration on "God’s Own Children" won the award for Best Song in 2021. He was also nominated in 2024 for an Ivor for Best Contemporary song for “Mama’s Eyes” by Mette.

References

  1. ↑ "Premiere: Barney Lister And Trim Channel British Disillusionment Into "The Isles"". Complex. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  2. ↑ "MRCY". nataal.com. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  3. 1 2 Dunn-Christensen, Millie (2025-07-02). "Latitude Digital Cover: MRCY are Cranking Up the Volume". Notion. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  4. ↑ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (2025-10-27). "Growing As An Artist: Yazmin Lacey In Conversation | Features". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2026-03-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (2024-04-09). "MRCY Announce Debut Project 'VOLUME 1' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2026-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Reilly, Nick; Richards, Will; Richards, Nick Reilly & Will (2025-01-09). "Rolling Stone UK's Ones To Watch 2025". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  7. ↑ January 2025, Words: Rhys Buchanan Photos: Ed Miles 14th (2025-01-14). "Class Of 2025: MRCY". DIY. Retrieved 2026-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Staff, Notion (2025-09-24). "Artists Who Won Big at The AIM Awards 2025". Notion. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  9. ↑ Garratt-Stanley, Fred (2024-04-10). "MRCY are making flamboyant soulful bangers to help us fathom life's confusion". NME. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  10. ↑ "Durand Jones & The Indications". Roundhouse. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  11. ↑ "Artists". Dead Oceans. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Mark (2023-04-18). "Nominations announced for The Ivors with Amazon Music 2023". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  13. ↑ "Ivors 2021 report: 'The songwriter is in the periphery - and that has to change'". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  14. ↑ "Best Contemporary Song Archives". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 2026-03-04.