The nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize have been revealed.
12 albums have been shortlisted for the award, which aims to celebrate the best British and Irish records of the past 12 months. Among them is Pulp, whose first album in 24 years, More, has been given the nod. The band were previous winners in 1996 for their fifth album, Different Class.
Also featured on the shortlist are FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA, Emma-Jean Thackray’s Weirdo, Pa Salieu’s Afrikan Alien and PinkPantheress’ Fancy That. Wolf Alice’s The Clearing is another of those nominated, making them the first act to be nominated for all of their first four albums in the award’s 34-year history. The quartet previously won in 2018 for second album Visions Of A Life.
At the age of 84, folk artist Martin Carthy becomes the oldest ever Mercury nominee for his album Transform Me Then Into A Fish. The shortlist is rounded off by Fontaines D.C.’s Romance, CMAT’s Euro-Country, Joe Webb’s Hamstrings And Hurricanes, Sam Fender’s People Watching and Jacob Alon’s In Limerence.
The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in Newcastle on October 16. The event is taking place outside of the capital for the first time, as organisers look to address accusations that the award had become too London-centric.
Last year’s Mercury Prize was won by Leeds-based band English Teacher for their debut record, This Could Be Texas. They were the first non-London-based act to win the award for a decade.
