The nominations for the 2023 Mercury Prize have been revealed, with Arctic Monkeys, J Hus and RAYE among the list.
The winner of the prize will be announced at a live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on September 7, and will be judged by a panel including Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum, Mistajam and more.
Others on the list of nominees include Loyle Carner (for his ‘Hugo’ album), Jockstrap (for debut LP ‘I Love You Jennifer B’), Young Fathers (‘Heavy Heavy’), Fred again.. (‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022’) and Jessie Ware (‘That! Feels Good!’).
The list is completed by Olivia Dean‘s debut album ‘Messy’, Shygirl‘s ‘Nymph’, Ezra Collective‘s ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ and Irish folk band Lankum’s fourth LP ‘False Lankum’.
See the full list of nominees below.
Arctic Monkeys – ‘The Car’
Ezra Collective – ‘Where I’m Meant to Be’
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’
In 2022, Little Simz won the Mercury Prize for her album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’. The London rapper beat off competition from fellow favourites Self Esteem and Wet Leg last October.
Accepting the trophy, she said: “Wow, I’m very, very overwhelmed. I’m very grateful, glory to God. God thank you so much.”
She also paid tribute to producer Inflo who worked on her album and said there were times in the studio when “I didn’t know if I was gonna finish this record. I was feeling all the emotions and really going through it and he stuck by me and pushed me to deliver this album for you guys.”
The event was supposed to go ahead last September, but the ceremony was called off on the night following the death of the Queen.