If you’re looking for some new music to listen to how about working your way through the Mercury Prize nominees?

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The annual award is given to the best album of the year by a British or Irish act. Twelve records are presented in the shortlist before the final winner is announced.

Since it’s launch in 1992 winner of the prize have included Primal Scream, Suede, M People, Portishead, Pulp, Roni Size, Badly Drawn Boy, Dizzee Rascal, Antony and the Johnsons, Artic Monkeys, Young Fathers, Sampha, and many others. PJ Harvey is the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice.

Little Simz was the winner last year with her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and Arlo Parks was awarded the prize in 2021 for her acclaimed record Collapsed in Sunbeams. 

Among this year’s nominees is The Car the seventh album from Arctic Monkeys, they previously won the award in 2006 with their debut album. Their nomination in this year’s round ties them with Radiohead for the most nominated act in the award’s history, although despite five nominations Radiohead have never won.

Young Father are another act who have previously won, they topped the list in 2014 with their debut album Dead, this time round they’re in contention with their fourth album Heavy Heavy which has been described as an being filled with massive choruses and passionate soulful sounds.

London jazz collective Ezra Collective mix reggae, calypso and hip-hop sounds in their works. Where I’m Meant to Be is their second album and follows on from 2019’s You Can’t Steal My Joy. It features guest appearances from Nao, Emeli Sande, Sampa the Great and Kojey Radical.

Fred Again has found success producing and writing tracks for George Ezra, Clean Bandit, Rita Ora and Ed Sheeran. Actual Life 3 is the third in a series of records he’s made under his own moniker which are based around samples he’s recorded as he travels through life. Two tracks from this album made into this year’s Triple J Hottest 100.

Rapper J Hus titled his third record Beautiful and Brutal Yard, which forms the abbreviation B.A.B.Y. It crisscrosses over the genres of drill, dancehall, Afrobeat, and hip-hop. It’s also got a stack of guest appearances including contributions from Drake, Burna Boy, Jorja Smith and Naira Marley.    

For her fifth studio album That! Feels Good! Jessie Ware tapped two of the biggest dance music producers in the game. Stuart Price has worked with Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Kylie, Scissor Sisters and many others. While James Ford from Simian Mobile Disco has worked with Blur, Depeche Mode, Klaxons and is currently in the studio with Pet Shop Boys. Ware’s album has been praised for its retro sounds and embracing of glossy pop.

We first told you about experimental pop band Jockstrap back in 2020 when they released their intriguing single Acid. After many singles and EPs, they’ve finally put out their debut record. I Love You Jennifer B made many ‘best of’ lists for 2002 including praise from Clash, NME, Mojo, Uncit, Pitchfork and Slate.  

The Mercury Prize is well known for selecting a wide range of music types. False Lankum is the fourth record form Irish folk band Lankum. Writing in Mojo music critic Jim Wirth said it could be folk music’s equivalent of Dark Side of the Moon or Ok Computer. 

Loyle Carner is another hip-hop artist in the running for this year’s award. His record Hugo is the third in his career, it’s a largely autobiographical work created during the lockdown period of Covid. One of the tracks on the record samples John Agard’s poem Half-Caste and recounts the musician’s experiences of racism as a mixed-race kid, while another track recounts a murder Carner witnesses when he was a teenager.

Olivia Dean has released five singles from her debut album Messy. The 24-year-old’s album is filled with soulful pop, and his been praised for it’s storytelling and Dean’s beautiful voice.

Another singer making the shortlist with their debut record is singer Raye whose My 21st Century Blues. Her songs cover some heavy topics including sexual assault, body dysmorphia, and anxiety. It includes guest appearances from Mahalia and 070 Shake, while production duties are handled by BloodPop, Di Genius, Punctual and Mike Sabath.

Shygirl is the final artist to check out, her album Nymph has already found lots of fans with its mix of hyper-pop, trap, jungle and drum ‘n’ bass sounds. She’s also put out a deluxe edition with heaps of extra tracks and remixes, it’s called Nymph_o.   

The awards rules which only allow 12 artists to make the nominations means there’s always a lot of debate about the artists that familed to make the list. This year records from PJ Harvey, Everything But The Girl, Arlo Parks, Oliver Sim and Anohni and The Johnsons were all tipped as contenders but failed to make the cut.

The nominees

Shygirl – Nymph
Raye – My 21st Century Blues
Olivia Dean – Messy
Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy
Lankum – False Lankum
Fred Again – Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)
Loyle Carner – hugo
Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Year
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Ezra Collective – Where I’m Meant To Be
Arctic Monkeys – The Car.

Graeme Watson 

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