Mercury Prize

Mercury Prize
2022 Mercury Prize logo
Awarded for	Best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland
Date	Every September
Venue	Abbey Road Studios
Formerly called	Mercury Music Prize
Reward(s)	£25,000 (2017)
First awarded	9 September 1992; 32 years ago (1992-09-09)
Last awarded	5 September 2024; 3 months ago (2024-09-05)
Currently held by	English Teacher – This Could Be Texas (2024)
Most awards	PJ Harvey (2 wins)
Most nominations	Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys (5 nominations)
Website	mercuryprize.com

The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland.^[1] It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards.

Any album released by a British or Irish artist, or by a band where over 50% of the members are British or Irish, may be submitted for consideration by their record label. There is a fee for submission. Twelve submitted albums are shortlisted for the prize, chosen based solely on their musical merit and irrespective of how popular or successful an album or act that has been submitted may have been in the previous calendar year. The shortlist is chosen by an independent panel of musicians, music presenters, music producers, music journalists, festival organisers, and other figures in the music industry in the UK and Ireland.^[1][2][3]

The prize is open to all types of music, including pop, rock, folk, urban, grime, dance, jazz, blues, electronica and classical. Presentation of the awards usually takes place at an Awards Show in October, after the shortlist is announced at the Album of the Year Launch in September. It is often observed that bands whose albums are shortlisted, or win the prize, experience a large increase in album sales, particularly for lesser known acts.^[4] Each shortlisted artist receives a specially commissioned 'Albums of the Year' trophy at the Awards Show. Unlike some other music awards, the overall winner of the Mercury Prize also receives a cheque; in 2017, the prize money was £25,000. The winner also receives an additional winner's trophy.^[1]

The prize was originally sponsored by Mercury Communications, a brand owned by Cable & Wireless,^[5] from which the prize gets its name. It was later sponsored by Technics^[6] (1998 to 2001), Panasonic^[5] (2002 and 2003), Nationwide Building Society (2004 to 2008) and Barclaycard (2009–14).^[7][8] The 2015 prize was sponsored by the BBC,^[8] while in 2016 it was announced that a three-year deal had been struck with Hyundai to sponsor the event.^[9] It was sponsored by Free Now, as part of a multi-year deal that began in 2022.^[10] In 2024, the award lost their deal with Freenow, prompting the cancellation of the ceremony and live performances for that year.^[11]

To date, PJ Harvey is the only artist to have won the award on more than one occasion (in 2001 and 2011). She was also the first female solo artist to receive the award. Alex Turner has received six nominations, five as a member of Arctic Monkeys and one with The Last Shadow Puppets, winning once. Thom Yorke has six nominations, five with Radiohead and one for The Eraser, but has never won.^[12]

The awards ceremony was postponed for the first, and so far only, time in 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.^[13]

The Mercury Prize can have a considerable effect on sales for those artists who are shortlisted. Elbow saw a 700% sales increase of their album The Seldom Seen Kid after winning the Prize in 2008.^[14] In their winner's speech, Elbow's frontman Guy Garvey said that winning the Mercury Prize was "quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to us".^[15][16] Similarly, sales of The xx's winning album rose by 450% the day after they won the 2010 Mercury Prize^[17][18] and 2013 winner James Blake saw a 2,500% sales increase on Amazon after he was announced as the winner of the 2013 Mercury Prize.^[19][20] 2011 winner PJ Harvey's album Let England Shake jumped from number 181 to 24 in the UK official charts the week after the 2011 Awards Show.^[21]

Despite being regarded by many as highly prestigious, it has been suggested that having an album nominated for or winning the Mercury Prize could be a curse on a career in music.^[22][23]

In 2001, the band Gorillaz requested that their eponymous debut album be withdrawn from the shortlist, with cartoon bassist Murdoc Niccals saying that winning the award would be "like carrying a dead albatross round your neck for eternity".^[24][25]

All genres of music are eligible for entry, and it is stated that all are treated equally, with only the music on the album being taken into account.^[1] Simon Frith, chair of the Mercury Prize judging panel, has said that albums are chosen because they are the "strongest" each year, rather than according to genre.^[26] However, the presence of classical, folk and jazz recordings has been cited by some as anomalous, arguing that comparisons with the other nominees can be invidious.^[27] Classical acts to have an album nominated have included John Tavener, Peter Maxwell Davies, Gavin Bryars and Nicholas Maw. None has ever won, and there has not been a shortlisted classical album since 2002.

The Mercury Prize also has a reputation for being awarded to outside chances rather than the favourites.^[28][29] The 1994 award winner was Elegant Slumming by the pop act M People, which some felt was a controversial decision considering the shortlist included popular albums from Britpop figureheads Paul Weller, Blur and Pulp, and electronica band The Prodigy.^[30][31][32]

Other music journalists critical of the awards stated that the 2005 award should not have been given to Antony and the Johnsons for their album I Am a Bird Now as, although they are British-born and therefore eligible for the Prize, the band was based in the United States.^[33][34] In 2006, Isobel Campbell's collaboration with Mark Lanegan, Ballad of the Broken Seas, was included in the shortlist, despite Lanegan being American, as the album was eligible due to Campbell's British citizenship, while Guillemots, whose album was also shortlisted in 2006, contained band members from Brazil and Canada, although the majority were from the United Kingdom.^[35]

Current eligibility criteria state that all albums must be available to buy as a digital release in the UK.^[1] In September 2013, My Bloody Valentine vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields expressed concerns about the award in an interview with The Guardian, accusing the Mercury Prize's organisers of "banning" the band's self-released album, m b v, from the shortlist nominations and addressing the nomination criteria, which he claimed branded the album "virtually illegal".^[36]

It has also been noted that heavy metal has been overlooked by the prize. A 2013 article by Vice on the Mercury Prize said "Metal certainly never gets a look-in, not even on the official entry information form: 'The Prize is open to all types of music, including pop, rock, folk, hip-hop, R'n'B, dance, soul, jazz, blues, electronica, classical…'"^[37] The only metal record that has ever been nominated for the Mercury Prize is Troublegum by Therapy? in 1994. In 2011, Mercury chair of judges Frith said "[Metal] is a niche that a lot of people don't listen to."^[38] In 2011, The Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis agreed that the Mercury Prize underrepresented heavy metal, but argued that this actually benefitted the genre because "At least part of metal's appeal is its outsider status."^[39]

Year	Winner	Shortlisted nominees	Image	Ref(s)
1992 (1st)	Primal Scream – Screamadelica	Barry Adamson – Soul Murder Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart – Rising Above Bedlam The Jesus and Mary Chain – Honey's Dead Bheki Mseleku – Celebration Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha Simply Red – Stars U2 – Achtung Baby John Tavener and Steven Isserlis – The Protecting Veil Young Disciples – Road to Freedom		[40]
1993 (2nd)	Suede – Suede	Apache Indian – No Reservations The Auteurs – New Wave Gavin Bryars – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet Dina Carroll – So Close PJ Harvey – Rid of Me New Order – Republic Stereo MCs – Connected Sting – Ten Summoner's Tales Stan Tracey – Portraits Plus		[41]
1994 (3rd)	M People – Elegant Slumming	Blur – Parklife Ian McNabb – Head Like a Rock Shara Nelson – What Silence Knows Michael Nyman – The Piano Concerto/MGV The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation Pulp – His 'n' Hers Take That – Everything Changes Therapy? – Troublegum Paul Weller – Wild Wood		[42]
1995 (4th)	Portishead – Dummy	Guy Barker – Into the Blue Elastica – Elastica PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love Leftfield – Leftism James MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the Cross Van Morrison – Days Like This Oasis – Definitely Maybe Supergrass – I Should Coco Tricky – Maxinquaye		[43]
1996 (5th)	Pulp – Different Class	Artists for War Child – Help Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah Peter Maxwell Davies/BBC Philharmonic – The Beltane Fire / Caroline Mathilde Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz Stories Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants Norma Waterson – Norma Waterson		[44]
1997 (6th)	Roni Size & Reprazent – New Forms	The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole Beth Orton – Trailer Park Primal Scream – Vanishing Point The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land Radiohead – OK Computer Spice Girls – Spice Suede – Coming Up John Tavener – Svyati Mark-Anthony Turnage – Your Rockaby		[43]
1998 (7th)	Gomez – Bring It On	4hero – Two Pages Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi's Revenge Eliza Carthy – Red Rice Catatonia – International Velvet Cornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th Time Massive Attack – Mezzanine Propellerheads – Decksandrumsandrockandroll Pulp – This Is Hardcore John Surman – Proverbs and Songs The Verve – Urban Hymns Robbie Williams – Life thru a Lens		[43]
1999 (8th)	Talvin Singh – Ok	Thomas Adès – Asyla Denys Baptiste – Be Where You Are Black Star Liner – Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! Blur – 13 The Chemical Brothers – Surrender Faithless – Sunday 8PM Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours Beth Orton – Central Reservation Kate Rusby – Sleepless Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails Underworld – Beaucoup Fish		[45]
2000 (9th)	Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast	Richard Ashcroft – Alone with Everybody Coldplay – Parachutes MJ Cole – Sincere Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions The Delgados – The Great Eastern Doves – Lost Souls Helicopter Girl – How to Steal the World Leftfield – Rhythm and Stealth Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto Nitin Sawhney – Beyond Skin Kathryn Williams – Little Black Numbers		[46]
2001 (10th)	PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea	Basement Jaxx – Rooty Elbow – Asleep in the Back Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain Gorillaz – Gorillaz (nomination withdrawn at the request of the band)[47] Ed Harcourt – Here Be Monsters Tom McRae – Tom McRae Radiohead – Amnesiac Susheela Raman – Salt Rain Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World Turin Brakes – The Optimist LP Zero 7 – Simple Things		[48]
2002 (11th)	Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper	Guy Barker – Soundtrack The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me David Bowie – Heathen The Coral – The Coral Doves – The Last Broadcast The Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the Wall Gemma Hayes – Night on My Side Beverley Knight – Who I Am Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me Joanna MacGregor – Play The Streets – Original Pirate Material		[49]
2003 (12th)	Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner	Athlete – Vehicles and Animals Eliza Carthy – Anglicana Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head The Darkness – Permission to Land Floetry – Floetic Soweto Kinch – Conversations with the Unseen Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons The Thrills – So Much for the City Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic Radiohead – Hail to the Thief Terri Walker – Untitled		[50]
2004 (13th)	Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand	Basement Jaxx – Kish Kash Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress Jamelia – Thank You Keane – Hopes and Fears Snow Patrol – Final Straw Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free Ty – Upwards Amy Winehouse – Frank Robert Wyatt – Cuckooland The Zutons – Who Killed...... The Zutons?		[51]
2005 (14th)	Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now	Bloc Party – Silent Alarm Coldplay – X&Y Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV Kaiser Chiefs – Employment KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope M.I.A. – Arular Maxïmo Park – A Certain Trigger Polar Bear – Held on the Tips of Fingers Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers		[34]
2006 (15th)	Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not	Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas Editors – The Back Room Guillemots – Through the Windowpane Richard Hawley – Coles Corner Hot Chip – The Warning Muse – Black Holes & Revelations Zoe Rahman – Melting Pot Lou Rhodes – Beloved One Scritti Politti – White Bread Black Beer Sway – This Is My Demo Thom Yorke – The Eraser		[52]
2007 (16th)	Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future	Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford – Basquiat Strings Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English Maps – We Can Create New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom Fionn Regan – The End of History Jamie T – Panic Prevention The View – Hats Off to the Buskers Amy Winehouse – Back to Black Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men
2008 (17th)	Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid	Adele – 19 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? Burial – Untrue Estelle – Shine The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim Neon Neon – Stainless Style Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand Portico Quartet – Knee Deep in the North Sea Radiohead – In Rainbows Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns		[53]
2009 (18th)	Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy	Bat for Lashes – Two Suns Florence and the Machine – Lungs Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires Glasvegas – Glasvegas Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew The Horrors – Primary Colours The Invisible – The Invisible Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum La Roux – La Roux Led Bib – Sensible Shoes Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men		[54]
2010 (19th)	The xx – xx	Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions Dizzee Rascal – Tongue n' Cheek Foals – Total Life Forever I Am Kloot – Sky at Night Kit Downes Trio – Golden Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More Villagers – Becoming a Jackal Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation Wild Beasts – Two Dancers		[55]
2011 (20th)	PJ Harvey – Let England Shake	Adele – 21 James Blake – James Blake Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys! Everything Everything – Man Alive Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam Katy B – On a Mission King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine Metronomy – The English Riviera Gwilym Simcock – Good Days At Schloss Elmau Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy		[56]
2012 (21st)	alt-J – An Awesome Wave	Django Django – Django Django Field Music – Plumb Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky's Edge Ben Howard – Every Kingdom Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough? Sam Lee – Ground of its Own The Maccabees – Given to the Wild Plan B – ill Manors Roller Trio – Roller Trio Jessie Ware – Devotion		[57] [58]
2013 (22nd)	James Blake – Overgrown	Arctic Monkeys – AM David Bowie – The Next Day Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg Disclosure – Settle Foals – Holy Fire Jon Hopkins – Immunity Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon Rudimental – Home Savages – Silence Yourself Villagers – Awayland		[59] [60]
2014 (23rd)	Young Fathers – Dead	Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow Anna Calvi – One Breath East India Youth – Total Strife Forever FKA twigs – LP1 GoGo Penguin – V2.0 Jungle – Jungle Nick Mulvey – First Mind Polar Bear – In Each and Every One Royal Blood – Royal Blood Kae Tempest – Everybody Down		[61]
2015 (24th)	Benjamin Clementine – At Least for Now	Aphex Twin – Syro Gaz Coombes – Matador C Duncan – Architect Eska – Eska Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys Slaves – Are You Satisfied? Soak – Before We Forgot How to Dream Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool Jamie xx – In Colour		[62]
2016 (25th)	Skepta – Konnichiwa	Anohni – Hopelessness Bat for Lashes – The Bride David Bowie – Blackstar The Comet Is Coming – Channel the Spirits Kano – Made in the Manor Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool Savages – Adore Life Jamie Woon – Making Time		[63]
2017 (26th)	Sampha – Process	alt-J – Relaxer The Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension Blossoms – Blossoms Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone Dinosaur – Together, As One Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being J Hus – Common Sense Ed Sheeran – ÷ Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer Kae Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos The xx – I See You		[64]
2018 (27th)	Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life	Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Everything Everything – A Fever Dream Everything Is Recorded – Everything Is Recorded Florence + the Machine – High as Hope Jorja Smith – Lost & Found King Krule – The Ooz Lily Allen – No Shame Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon? Novelist – Novelist Guy Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is a Reptile		[65]
2019 (28th)	Dave – Psychodrama	Anna Calvi – Hunter Black Midi – Schlagenheim Cate Le Bon – Reward Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance Little Simz – Grey Area Nao – Saturn SEED Ensemble – Driftglass slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships		[66]
2020 (29th)	Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka	Anna Meredith – Fibs Charli XCX – How I'm Feeling Now Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia Georgia – Seeking Thrills Kano – Hoodies All Summer Lanterns on the Lake – Spook the Herd Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter Moses Boyd – Dark Matter Porridge Radio – Every Bad Sports Team – Deep Down Happy Stormzy – Heavy Is the Head		[67] [68]
2021 (30th)	Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams	Berwyn – Demotape/Vega Black Country, New Road – For the First Time Celeste – Not Your Muse Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra – Promises Ghetts – Conflict of Interest Hannah Peel – Fir Wave Laura Mvula – Pink Noise Mogwai – As the Love Continues Nubya Garcia – Source Sault – Untitled (Rise) Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend		[69] [70]
2022 (31st)	Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert	Fergus McCreadie – Forest Floor Gwenno – Tresor Harry Styles – Harry's House Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler – For All Our Days That Tear the Heart Joy Crookes – Skin Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile Nova Twins – Supernova Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure Wet Leg – Wet Leg Yard Act – The Overload		[71] [72]
2023 (32nd)	Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be	Arctic Monkeys – The Car Fred Again – Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good! Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B Lankum – False Lankum Loyle Carner – Hugo Olivia Dean – Messy Raye – My 21st Century Blues Shygirl – Nymph Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy		[73] [74]
2024 (33rd)	English Teacher – This Could Be Texas	Barry Can't Swim – When Will We Land? Berwyn – Who Am I Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown Cat Burns – Early Twenties Charli XCX – Brat CMAT – Crazymad, for Me Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows corto.alto – Bad With Names Ghetts – On Purpose, with Purpose Nia Archives – Silence Is Loud The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy		[75] [76]

2 wins

• PJ Harvey (2 wins 2001/2011, nominated 1993/1995/2001/2011)

Totals listed are for bands or artists nominated more than once under the same name. It does not include appearances on compilations (e.g. Artists for War Child) or individuals nominated separately as a soloist and group member (e.g. Robbie Williams for his Life thru a Lens and Take That's Everything Changes, or Beth Gibbons for her Lives Outgrown and Portishead's Dummy).

• Scottish Album of the Year Award
• Welsh Music Prize
• Northern Ireland Music Prize
• Choice Music Prize (Ireland, including Northern Ireland)
• Polaris Music Prize (Canada)
• Prix Constantin (France)
• Shortlist Music Prize (United States)
• Australian Music Prize
• Nordic Music Prize
• Premio Ruido (Spain)
• Taite Music Prize (New Zealand)

General

• "Highs and Lows of the Mercury Prize". BBC News. 20 June 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
• "Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2012". 4Music. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.

• Mercury Prize – official site
• Mercury Prize @ BBC Online
• Mercury Prize (winners) at Discogs