LONDON: Bands Pulp and Wolf Alice as well as singers FKA Twigs, CMAT and Sam Fender are among the nominees for the 2025 Mercury Prize, a British music award, organisers said on Wednesday.
First handed out to rockers Primal Scream in 1992, the annual 25,000 pounds ($34,000) prize shortlists 12 albums released by British and Irish acts in the United Kingdom in the past year.
Considered less mainstream than Britain’s pop music honours the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize is open to all music genres.
Rock band Wolf Alice, who previously won the award in 2018, secured a nod for “The Clearing”, becoming the first act to be nominated for all of their first four albums.
Fellow past winners Pulp were nominated for “More”, their first album in 21 years.
Joining the list are Irish post-punk group Fontaines D.C., in the running for its fourth album “Romance”, and singers FKA Twigs and Sam Fender, who received nods for their respective third studio albums “Eusexua” and “People Watching”.
Rapper Pa Salieu was recognised for mixtape “Afrikan Alien”, as were jazz pianist Joe Webb for “Hamstrings & Hurricanes” and folk singer and guitarist Martin Carthy for “Transform Me Then Into A Fish”, who at 84 becomes the oldest ever Mercury Prize nominee.
Fellow contenders include PinkPantheress’ mixtape “Fancy That”, singer Jacob Along’s “In Limerence” and musician and DJ Emma-Jean Thackray’s “Weirdo”. Irish musician CMAT’s third studio album “CMAT” completes the list.
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“I think it is fantastic to see such an eclectic mix of genres, but also the diversity of artists, including careers that spanned decades to artists who are emerging,” Jo Twist, CEO of the British Phonographic Industry, the body behind the Mercury Prize, told Reuters of the nominees.
This year’s ceremony will for the first time take place outside of London. It will be held on October 16 at the Utilia Arena in Newcastle.
Rock band English Teacher won the prize last year for debut album “This Could Be Texas”, beating the likes of singer-songwriter Charli XCX and rapper Ghetts.
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