The nominations for the prestigious Mercury Prize Awards 2025 have been revealed today. Twelve artists have been selected for the Albums of the Year category, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Newcastle next month.
The Mercury Prize is an annual accolade presented to the best album released by a UK or Ireland-based artist. The current titleholder is English Teacher’s “This Could Be Texas,” and a new champion will be crowned in a few weeks.
This year’s nominees were unveiled on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds by Lauren Laverne this morning. The winner will be announced at the Utilita Arena on October 16.
The 2025 Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
– CMAT with ‘EURO-COUNTRY’
– Emma-Jean Thackray with ‘Weirdo’
– FKA twigs with ‘EUSEXUA’
– Fontaines D.C. with ‘Romance’
– Jacob Alon with ‘In Limerence’
– Joe Webb with ‘Hamstrings & Hurricanes’
– Martin Carthy with ‘Transform Me Then Into A Fish’
– Pa Salieu with ‘Afrikan Alien’
– PinkPantheress with ‘Fancy That’
– Pulp with ‘More’
– Sam Fender with ‘People Watching’
– Wolf Alice with ‘The Clearing’
The awards ceremony will include live performances by many of the shortlisted artists, culminating in the announcement of this year’s Mercury Prize winner. BBC Music will provide coverage of the event.
This year marks the first time the Mercury Prize will be held outside London, with Newcastle hosting the ceremony in collaboration with Newcastle City Council and The North East Combined Authority.
The judging panel for the award consists of industry professionals who are dedicated to showcasing artistic excellence across various genres. The panel includes Jamie Cullum, Sian Eleri, Mistajam, Danielle Perry, Jamz Supernova, Jeff Smith, Lea Stonhill, Phil Alexander, Will Hodgkinson, and Sophie Williams, with Jeff Smith serving as the chairperson.
In addition to the awards ceremony, music development agency Generator will launch the Mercury Prize Newcastle Fringe, a vibrant celebration showcasing the North East’s music scene and iconic venues.
The Mercury Fringe will run from October 9 to 15, featuring local talent and creative energy across the North East Combined Authority’s seven local authority areas at venues like the Glasshouse in Gateshead and Pop Recs in Sunderland.
