The Mercury Prize Awards return next month, with a host of stars up for the award during the awards ceremony at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on October 16
The nominees for Albums of the Year at the Mercury Prize Awards 2025 have been announced today. It comes ahead of the awards ceremony taking place in Newcastle next month.
12 albums are up for the honour, with them announced on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds by Lauren Laverne. The winner will be announced at the Utilita Arena on October 16.
The 2025 Mercury Prize 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
CMAT ‘EURO-COUNTRY’
Emma-Jean Thackray ‘Weirdo’
FKA twigs ‘EUSEXUA’
Fontaines D.C. ‘Romance’
Jacob Alon ‘In Limerence’
Joe Webb ‘Hamstrings & Hurricanes’
Martin Carthy ‘Transform Me Then Into A Fish’
Pa Salieu ‘Afrikan Alien’
PinkPantheress ‘Fancy That’
Pulp ‘More’
Sam Fender ‘People Watching’
Wolf Alice ‘The Clearing’
The awards ceremony will feature live performances from “many of the twelve shortlisted artists” and the evening will end with the overall winner of this year’s Mercury Prize being announced. BBC Music will be providing coverage.
This year marks the first time that the Mercury Prize moves beyond London. Organisers have said that the relocation to Newcastle, in partnership with Newcastle City Council and The North East Combined Authority, “signals a new dawn” for it.
The shortlist for the award each year is curated by an “independent judging panel” of music industry professionals. It’s stated that the judges are “eternally passionate” about showcasing artistic achievement across a range of genres.
The judging panel this year includes Jamie Cullum, Sian Eleri and Mistajam. The other judges are Danielle Perry, Jamz Supernova, Jeff Smith, Lea Stonhill, Phil Alexander, Will Hodgkinson, Sophie Williams. Jeff Smith is the chair of the judging team.
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