Mercury Prize Announces the 12 Best British Albums of the Year

The prestigious Mercury Prize has announced their top 12 UK albums from the past year to date. Announced this morning, in partnership with BBC Radio 6, this year’s list shows the breadth of new and interesting music coming out of Great Britain. Previous winners of the Mercury Prize include Stormzy, Primal Scream, the xx, Skepta, Elbow, Pulp, M People, and other esteemed acts. Previously lauded for its eclecticism and support of the independent music industry, winners have often gained greatly from the exposure and acclaim that the Mercury Prize brings.

The winner is anyone’s guess. There have been many surprises over the past 28 years, such as Ms Dynamite’s victory over the Streets, David Bowie, the Coral, and Doves in 2002; or Speech Debelle’s 2009 triumph over Florence + The Machine and Kasabian. The bookies’ favourites are Michael Kiwanuka and Stormzy’s releases; however, I would keep an eye out for Sports Team and Laura Marling as likely winners.

This year’s nominees have been reacting to their place in the shortlist of Britain’s best dozen. Michael Kiwanuka said, “It’s mind-blowing, the Mercury Prize, as we all know, is the thing that supports music as an art form. It’s something that really means a lot to me. I’m excited.” Mercury Prize has tweeted a series of videos showing artists’ reactions to their nominations as well as detailing what the prize means to them.

The panel choosing this year’s winner is a worthy collection of industry performers and experts. Musicians such as Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum, Jorja Smith, and Gaz Coombes of Supergrass fame will all cast votes alongside leaders in British journalism from Vice, Mojo, and The Times.

A full alphabetical list of nominees is below and the overall winner will be announced on the 10th of September 2020.

1. Anna Meredith – FIBS
2. Charli XCX – How I’m Feeling Now
3. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
4. Georgia – Seeking Thrills
5. Lanterns on the Lake – Spook the Herd
6. Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
7. Kano – Hoodies All Summer
8. Michael Kiwanuka – KIWANUKA
9. Moses Boyd – Dark Matter
10. Porridge Radio – Every Bad
11. Sports Team – Deep Down Happy
12. Stormzy – Heavy Is the Head