This year's Mercury Prize shortlist is borderline flawless. From Charli XCX to The Last Dinner Party, via Beth Gibbons and Nia Archives, all are deserving of taking the top prize in September...
ADVERTISEMENTThe shortlisted nominees for the coveted Mercury Prize 2024 have been unveiled, and the 12 albums – released between 15 July 2023 and 12 July 2024 – are some of this year’s very best.
They include Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’, indie-rock band The Last Dinner Party’s debut ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ and Portishead singer Beth Gibbons’ ‘Lives Outgrown’ - all of which feature in our Best Albums of the Year So Far ranking.
Stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our list – published tomorrow (and check out our Best Movies of 2024 So Far and Best TV Shows of 2024 So Far rankings).
The Mercury Prize, created in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released by an act from the UK or Ireland. The nominated albums are chosen by an independent judging panel, and the winners of this year’s prize will be announced in September.
Scroll down for the full list of nominees.
“The Mercury Prize is a cherished part of our cultural landscape, celebrating the art of the album and recognising the exceptional creative achievements of diverse British and Irish artists across the many different genres that make up our thriving and global-facing music scene,” said Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of the BPI, home to The Mercury Prize.
The prize was won last year by Ezra Collective for their album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ - a win which made album sales and streams increase by nearly 900 per cent. It was the first time a jazz act won.
Other former winners include Primal Scream’s 'Screamadelica' (the inaugural prize), Portishead’s 'Dummy' (which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year), Pulp’s 'Different Class', Ms. Dynamite’s 'A Little Deeper', Young Fathers’ ‘Dead’, Michael Kiwanuka’s ‘Kiwanuka’ and Little Simz ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.
PJ Harvey is the only artist to date with two Mercury Prize awards, from four nominations, with wins in 2001 for ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea’ and in 2011 for ‘Let England Shake’.
Here are the shortlisted artists for the 2024 Mercury Award Prize:
- Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?’
- BERWYN – ‘Who Am I’
- Beth Gibbons – ‘Lives Outgrown’
- Cat Burns – ‘early twenties’
- Charli XCX – ‘BRAT’
- CMAT – ‘Crazymad, for Me’
- Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘Black Rainbows’
- corto.alto – ‘Bad with Names’
- English Teacher – ‘This Could Be Texas’
- Ghetts – ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’
- Nia Archives – ‘Silence Is Loud’
- The Last Dinner Party – ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’
The winner will be announced in September.
