Next week they'll announce the winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize.
When they announced the shortlist, a couple of months ago, I noticed that I'd already listened to nearly all the albums, which is pretty unusual.
They are:
Artists for War Child – Help(2)
Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp
Dove Ellis – Blizzard
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
Jade – That's Showbiz Baby!
Knats – A Great Day in Newcastle
Kojey Radical – Don't Look Down
Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Paul McCartney – The Boys of Dungeon Lane
Raye – This Music May Contain Hope
Suede – Antidepressants
One of the two or three I hadn't listened to before the list came out was the album by Knats, which has a real pizzazz to it, and I think is probably the most striking and singular, so, though I probably won't listen to it much, that would be quite a fun winner too.
Apart from that, the truth is, there's not much anymore that distinguishes this list from what you might see at the Brits or any other mainstream awards, which is not necessarily terrible, and might be a necessary evil to keep the prize financially viable, but most of the artists here don't need much help. Ironically, I really like the Harry Styles album, which has not made the list.
The albums by Dave and Raye were, in my view, and that of quite a few critics, big swings that missed, large, personal albums with some great bits, but just a bit too self-indulgent and ultimately a bit boring. I don't think either of them should win.
I really like Nia Archives - I like this and her last album - if I was to try to describe her sound, there is really nothing better than the album title - Emotional Junglist.
I also think Olivia Dean winning would just be a bit pointless, though that is a very good album.
There were some good albums that didn't make the list - but, who knows, not everyone enters.
So, anyway, we'll see. Maybe the most fun choice would be first-time nominee Paul McCartney - get John Lennon spinning in his grave, if nothing else ...
