The shortlist for this year’s Mercury Prize has been announced and – as ever – it’s eclectic.
Designed to celebrate the best in British and Irish music over the past year, the 12-strong list includes one bonafide living legend, several artists who are arguably at their commercial peak, a revitalised Britpop-era band and a number of up and coming names. And, for the first time, a various artists compilation album is included.
The living legend is Paul McCartney, who probably doesn’t have the space on the mantelpieces of all his various homes for another gong for The Boys Of Dungeon Lane. Neither, arguably, does Raye, after all those Brit awards she took home the other year. Nevertheless, her second album, This Album May Contain Hope, is nominated.
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Traditionally, the Mercurys’ panel has been shy of giving the award to conspicuously successful artists, though they bucked that trend last year with Sam Fender. So Raye could be in with a shout, as could Olivia Dean for The Art Of Loving and Jade, with her solo debut That’s Showbiz Baby!
Two previous winners have been nominated – 2019’s victor Dave is in there again with his third album The Boy Who Played Harp – as well as the revived Suede, who won the second ever Mercury way back in 1993.
Both, you’d say, would have to be outside bets (only one artist, PJ Harvey, has won the Mercury twice) as are Florence + The Machine, who have been a consistent presence in British pop for a decade and a half. With Everybody Scream now being their fourth Mercury nomination, they’re probably not getting their hopes up.
Nia Archives might be a good bet with her second album Emotional Junglist, as might Kojey Radical for Don’t Look Down. Outsiders, you’d have to say, are the only Irish nominee on the list – indie folk fella Dove Ellis – and Knats. The latter are a Newcastle-based jazz trio, who certainly sound intriguing. But given that Sam Fender won in the first year the awards were moved to Newcastle, would the panel really give the prize to a North East artist for the second year in a row?
And finally there’s that Various Artists album. Help (2) is nothing if not a deserved nominee and, given that the project lacked the cut through its predecessor achieved 30 years ago, could certainly do with the publicity.
Inevitably, there’s also been some chatter in regard to the albums that have missed out. Lily Allen’s critically-acclaimed West End Girl and Harry Styles’ Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally are two of the more notable omissions from the shortlist, though Styles’ album wasn’t greeted as warmly as some of his previous efforts, so its absence is less of a surprise.
The Awards ceremony will be held in Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Thursday 22 October, with live performances from “many” of the 12 artists promised. The BBC are to provide coverage of the event, which will presumably include a TV broadcast.
Mercury Prize 2026 nominations
- Dave – The Boy Who Played Harp
- Dove Ellis – Blizzard
- Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
- Jade – That’s Showbiz Baby!
- Knats – A Great Day In Newcastle
- Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
- Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist
- Olivia Dean – The Art Of Loving
- Paul McCartney – The Boys Of Dungeon Lane
- Raye – This Music May Contain Hope
- Suede – Antidepressants
- War Child Records – Help (2)
