The latest bookies odds for the winner of the 2022 Mercury Prize ahead of tonight’s ceremony (October 18) have been released, with Little Simz, Self Esteem and Wet Leg among the favourites.
The 12 albums that have been shortlisted for the Album Of The Year award were announced earlier this summer.
Little Simz’ ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ is currently favourite to clinch the prize on aggregate bookies website Oddschecker, with odds of 10-11, followed by Self Esteem’s ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ on 9-4. Wet Leg’s self-titled debut album also has odds of 5-1 while Sam Fender‘s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ is further back on 12-1.
Yard Act’s ‘The Overload’ and Kojey Radical‘s ‘Reason To Smile’ both currently have odds of 16-1 while Gwenno’s ‘Tresor’ is further back at 22-1. Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’ and Nova Twins’ ‘Supernova’ are both coming in at 28-1.
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler‘s ‘For All Our Days That Tear That Tear The Heart’ and Joy Crookes‘ ‘Skin’ are on 35-1 while Fergus McCreadie is currently 40-1 with ‘Forest Floor’.
The event was supposed to go ahead last month, but the ceremony was called off on the night (September 8) following the death of the Queen.
Following last month’s cancelled Mercury Prize ceremony, nominee Self Esteem helped donate unused food from the event to the homeless.
Speaking about her nomination, Self Esteem recently told NME. “I’m not being coy, but I can’t believe what’s happened. “I’d really made my peace with being consistently underground and under-dogged. Something has happened where people have connected to [the album]. It’s still kind of a slow-burn and slowly growing – it’s not like my life has changed overnight – but my greatest joy is making music.”
Eleven of the 12 nominees were recently confirmed to perform live at tonight’s ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith with each artist performing one track from their shortlisted album. Only Harry Styles is unable to attend, and will instead pre-record a special performance that will be broadcast at the event.
The 2022 Mercury Prize ceremony will be hosted by Lauren Laverne and broadcast on BBC Four from 9pm-10.15pm BST. Radio coverage will be available on BBC Radio 6 Music from 7pm-midnight.