Mercury Prize

Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
Awarded for	Best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland
Location	United Kingdom
First awarded	1992; 34 years ago (as Mercury Music Prize)
Website	mercuryprize.com

The Mercury Music Prize, is an annual award ceremony, and as of 2026, is in partnership with amongst others, Newcastle City Council and BBC Music. It was formerly called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize when they previously sponsored the music prize over several years. The prize is awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was formed by the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers in 1992, as an artistic alternative to the Brit Awards.

The prize was originally sponsored by Mercury Communications Ltd. It was later sponsored by Technics, from 1998 to 2001. Panasonic, who own the Technics brand, took over as sponsor in years 2002 and 2003, followed by the Nationwide Building Society, from 2004 to 2008. Barclaycard became the Prize's sponsor in March 2009. By 2026, the prize was without a main sponsor, and embraced the concept of multiple partners, including, LNER, Generator, Bell & Shanks, Life Water, Freight Island, and the retailer Fenwick.

Nominations are usually announced in the UK during the Summer, with the Presentation of the award, scheduled to take place during Autumn.

Winners and shortlisted nominees

Heather Small of M People, winners in 1994

Year	Winner	Shortlisted nominees
1992	Primal Scream – Screamadelica	Barry Adamson – Soul Murder Jah Wobble – Rising Above Bedlam The Jesus and Mary Chain – Honey's Dead Bheki Mseleku – Celebration Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha Simply Red – Stars U2 – Achtung Baby John Tavener & Steven Isserlis –The Protecting Veil Young Disciples – Road to Freedom
1993	Suede – Suede	Apache Indian – No Reservations The Auteurs – New Wave Gavin Bryars – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet Dina Carroll – So Close PJ Harvey – Rid of Me New Order – Republic Stereo MCs – Connected Sting – Ten Summoner's Tales Stan Tracey – Portraits Plus
1994	M People – Elegant Slumming	Blur – Parklife Ian McNabb – Head Like a Rock Shara Nelson – What Silence Knows Michael Nyman – The Piano Concerto/MGV The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation Pulp – His 'n' Hers Take That – Everything Changes Therapy? – Troublegum Paul Weller – Wild Wood
1995	Portishead – Dummy	Guy Barker – Into the Blue Elastica – Elastica PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love Leftfield – Leftism James MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the Cross Van Morrison – Days Like This Oasis – Definitely Maybe Supergrass – I Should Coco Tricky – Maxinquaye
1996	Pulp – Different Class	Artists for War Child – Help Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah Peter Maxwell Davies/BBC Philharmonic – The Beltane Fire / Caroline Mathilde Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz Stories Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants Norma Waterson – Norma Waterson
1997	Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms	The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole Beth Orton – Trailer Park Primal Scream – Vanishing Point The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land Radiohead – OK Computer Spice Girls – Spice Suede – Coming Up John Tavener – Svyati Mark-Anthony Turnage – Your Rockaby
1998	Gomez – Bring It On	4hero – Two Pages Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi's Revenge Eliza Carthy – Red Rice Catatonia – International Velvet Cornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th Time Massive Attack – Mezzanine Propellerheads – Decksandrumsandrockandroll Pulp – This Is Hardcore John Surman – Proverbs & Songs The Verve – Urban Hymns Robbie Williams – Life thru a Lens
1999	Talvin Singh – Ok	Thomas Adès – Asyla Denys Baptiste – Be Where You Are Black Star Liner – Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! Blur – 13 The Chemical Brothers – Surrender Faithless – Sunday 8PM Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours Beth Orton – Central Reservation Kate Rusby – Sleepless Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails Underworld – Beaucoup Fish
2000	Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast	Richard Ashcroft – Alone with Everybody Coldplay – Parachutes M. J. Cole – Sincere Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions The Delgados – The Great Eastern Doves – Lost Souls Helicopter Girl – How to Steal the World Leftfield – Rhythm and Stealth Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto Nitin Sawhney – Beyond Skin Kathryn Williams – Little Black Numbers
2001	PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea	Basement Jaxx – Rooty Elbow – Asleep in the Back Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain Gorillaz – Gorillaz (nomination withdrawn at the request of the band) Ed Harcourt – Here Be Monsters Tom McRae – Tom McRae Radiohead – Amnesiac Susheela Raman – Salt Rain Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World Turin Brakes – The Optimist LP Zero 7 – Simple Things
2002	Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper	Guy Barker – Soundtrack The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me David Bowie – Heathen The Coral – The Coral Doves – The Last Broadcast The Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the Wall Gemma Hayes – Night on My Side Beverley Knight – Who I Am Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me Joanna MacGregor – Play The Streets – Original Pirate Material
2003	Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner	Athlete – Vehicles and Animals Eliza Carthy – Anglicana Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head The Darkness – Permission to Land Floetry – Floetic Soweto Kinch – Conversations with the Unseen Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons The Thrills – So Much for the City Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic Radiohead – Hail to the Thief Terri Walker – Untitled
2004	Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand	Basement Jaxx – Kish Kash Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress Jamelia – Thank You Keane – Hopes and Fears Snow Patrol – Final Straw Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free Ty – Upwards Amy Winehouse – Frank Robert Wyatt – Cuckooland The Zutons – Who Killed...... The Zutons?
2005	Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now	Bloc Party – Silent Alarm Coldplay – X&Y Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV Kaiser Chiefs – Employment KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope M.I.A. – Arular Maxïmo Park – A Certain Trigger Polar Bear – Held on the Tips of Fingers Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers
2006	Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not	Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas Editors – The Back Room Guillemots – Through the Windowpane Richard Hawley – Coles Corner Hot Chip – The Warning Muse – Black Holes & Revelations Zoe Rahman – Melting Pot Lou Rhodes – Beloved One Scritti Politti – White Bread Black Beer Sway – This Is My Demo Thom Yorke – The Eraser
2007	Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future	Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford – Basquiat Strings Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English Maps – We Can Create New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom Fionn Regan – The End of History Jamie T – Panic Prevention The View – Hats Off to the Buskers Amy Winehouse – Back to Black Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men
2008	Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid	Adele – 19 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? Burial – Untrue Estelle – Shine The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim Neon Neon – Stainless Style Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand Portico Quartet – Knee Deep In The North Sea Radiohead – In Rainbows Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns
2009	Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy	Bat for Lashes – Two Suns Florence and the Machine – Lungs Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires Glasvegas – Glasvegas Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew The Horrors – Primary Colours The Invisible – The Invisible Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum La Roux – La Roux Led Bib – Sensible Shoes Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men
2010	The xx – xx	Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea Dizzee Rascal – Tongue n' Cheek Foals – Total Life Forever I Am Kloot – Sky at Night Kit Downes Trio – Golden Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation Villagers – Becoming a Jackal Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
2011	PJ Harvey – Let England Shake	Adele – 21 Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys! Everything Everything – Man Alive Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam Gwilym Simcock – Good Days at Schloss Elmau James Blake – James Blake Katy B – On a Mission King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine Metronomy – The English Riviera Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy
2012	Alt-J – An Awesome Wave	Ben Howard – Every Kingdom Django Django – Django Django Field Music – Plumb Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky's Edge Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough? Sam Lee – Ground of its Own The Maccabees – Given to the Wild Plan B – ill Manors Roller Trio – Roller Trio Jessie Ware – Devotion
2013	James Blake – Overgrown	Arctic Monkeys – AM David Bowie – The Next Day Disclosure – Settle Foals – Holy Fire Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg Jon Hopkins – Immunity Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon Rudimental – Home Savages – Silence Yourself Villagers – {Awayland}
2014	Young Fathers – Dead	Anna Calvi – One Breath Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots East India Youth – Total Strife Forever FKA twigs – LP1 GoGo Penguin – V2.0 Jungle – Jungle Kate Tempest – Everybody Down Nick Mulvey – First Mind Polar Bear – In Each and Every One Royal Blood – Royal Blood
2015	Benjamin Clementine – At Least for Now	Aphex Twin – Syro Gaz Coombes – Matador C Duncan – Architect Eska – Eska Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys Slaves – Are You Satisfied? SOAK – Before We Forgot How to Dream Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool Jamie xx – In Colour
2016	Skepta – Konnichiwa	Anohni – Hopelessness Bat for Lashes – The Bride David Bowie – Blackstar Jamie Woon – Making Time Kano – Made in the Manor Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool Savages – Adore Life The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It The Comet Is Coming – Channel the Spirits
2017	Sampha – Process	alt-J – Relaxer The Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension Blossoms – Blossoms Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone Dinosaur – Together, As One Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being J Hus – Common Sense Ed Sheeran – ÷ Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer Kate Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos The xx – I See You
2018	Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life	Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Everything Everything – A Fever Dream Everything Is Recorded – Everything Is Recorded Florence and the Machine – High as Hope Jorja Smith – Lost & Found King Krule – The Ooz Lily Allen – No Shame Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon? Novelist – Novelist Guy Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is a Reptile

Related pages

Choice Music Prize (Ireland)
Polaris Music Prize (Canada)
Prix Constantin (France)
Shortlist Music Prize (United States)
Australian Music Prize (Australia)

References

1 2 "Partners". www.mercuryprize.com. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
1 2 Dann, Trevor (9 September 2003). "'By the time the list is agreed you wonder whether you like music at all'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ "Manics lead Mercury shortlist". BBC News. 27 July 1999. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Gill, Andy (10 September 1992). "The 1992 Mercury Music Prize: Andy Gill looks at the winner of the inaugural Mercury Music Prize". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ "The London Suede". MTV. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Hughes, Jack (18 September 1994). "Cries & Whispers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
1 2 3 "Mercury winners: where are they now?". Channel 4. 18 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ MacDonald, Marianne (11 September 1996). "Pulp create a different class of award". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ "Talvin Singh: Closing the divide". BBC News. 8 September 1999. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Youngs, Ian (30 July 2002). "Mercury Prize's guessing game". BBC News. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ "PJ Harvey wins Mercury prize – after witnessing Pentagon attack". The Guardian. 12 September 2001. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Chrisafis, Angelique (18 September 2002). "Ms Dynamite's victory blasts Mercury norms". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
↑ Imagee, Matthew (7 September 2004). "Still going strong after Dizzee rise to Mercury's peak". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Barkham, Patrick (8 September 2004). "Mercury rises for art pop of Franz Ferdinand". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ "Arctic Monkeys win 2006 Mercury Music Prize". NME. 5 September 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Pidd, Helen (5 September 2007). "Klaxons are the big noise on Mercury awards night". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Paphides, Pete (10 September 2008). "Pete Paphides salutes Elbow's Mercury Prize victory". The Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
↑ Swash, Rosie (21 July 2009). "Mercury Prize 2009 Nominations Announced". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
↑ "Mercury Prize 2010 Nominations Announced". NME. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
↑ Topping, Alexandra (19 July 2011). "Adele leads Mercury prize 2011 shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
↑ Butterly, Amelia (13 September 2012). "Plan B hopes for his 'Dizzee Rascal' moment at Mercurys". BBC News. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
↑ Topping, Alexandra (2 November 2012). "Mercury prize celebrates 20 years with award for Alt-J's debut album". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
↑ Clark, Nick (11 September 2013). "Mercury Prize 2013: List of nominees in full". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
↑ "Mercury Prize: James Blake wins with Overgrown". BBC News. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
↑ Beauchemin, Molly (30 October 2014). "Young Fathers Win the Mercury Prize". Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
↑ "Mercury Prize 2015 shortlist". BBC. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
↑ "Mercury Prize 2016: David Bowie gets posthumous nomination". BBC News. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
↑ Mark Brown (2017-09-14). "Mercury prize 2017 is won by Sampha's Process". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
↑ Savage, Mark (2018-07-26). "Arctics and Jorja Smith on Mercury list". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-09-22.

Other websites

Official site

[:1-1] 1 2 "Partners". www.mercuryprize.com. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

[spon-2] 1 2 Dann, Trevor (9 September 2003). "'By the time the list is agreed you wonder whether you like music at all'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[3] "Manics lead Mercury shortlist". BBC News. 27 July 1999. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[4] Gill, Andy (10 September 1992). "The 1992 Mercury Music Prize: Andy Gill looks at the winner of the inaugural Mercury Music Prize". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[5] "The London Suede". MTV. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[6] Hughes, Jack (18 September 1994). "Cries & Whispers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[where-7] 1 2 3 "Mercury winners: where are they now?". Channel 4. 18 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[8] MacDonald, Marianne (11 September 1996). "Pulp create a different class of award". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[9] "Talvin Singh: Closing the divide". BBC News. 8 September 1999. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[10] Youngs, Ian (30 July 2002). "Mercury Prize's guessing game". BBC News. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[11] "PJ Harvey wins Mercury prize – after witnessing Pentagon attack". The Guardian. 12 September 2001. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[12] Chrisafis, Angelique (18 September 2002). "Ms Dynamite's victory blasts Mercury norms". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2009.

[13] Imagee, Matthew (7 September 2004). "Still going strong after Dizzee rise to Mercury's peak". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[14] Barkham, Patrick (8 September 2004). "Mercury rises for art pop of Franz Ferdinand". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[15] "Arctic Monkeys win 2006 Mercury Music Prize". NME. 5 September 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[16] Pidd, Helen (5 September 2007). "Klaxons are the big noise on Mercury awards night". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[17] Paphides, Pete (10 September 2008). "Pete Paphides salutes Elbow's Mercury Prize victory". The Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2009.

[18] Swash, Rosie (21 July 2009). "Mercury Prize 2009 Nominations Announced". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2009.

[19] "Mercury Prize 2010 Nominations Announced". NME. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.

[2010shortlist-20] Topping, Alexandra (19 July 2011). "Adele leads Mercury prize 2011 shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2011.

[2012shortlist1-21] Butterly, Amelia (13 September 2012). "Plan B hopes for his 'Dizzee Rascal' moment at Mercurys". BBC News. Retrieved 13 September 2012.

[2012shortlist2-22] Topping, Alexandra (2 November 2012). "Mercury prize celebrates 20 years with award for Alt-J's debut album". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2012.

[nominees2013-23] Clark, Nick (11 September 2013). "Mercury Prize 2013: List of nominees in full". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.

[24] "Mercury Prize: James Blake wins with Overgrown". BBC News. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.

[nominees2014-25] Beauchemin, Molly (30 October 2014). "Young Fathers Win the Mercury Prize". Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 October 2014.

[nominees2015-26] "Mercury Prize 2015 shortlist". BBC. Retrieved 2015-10-16.

[nominees2016-27] "Mercury Prize 2016: David Bowie gets posthumous nomination". BBC News. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-05.

[winnerAndNominees2017-28] Mark Brown (2017-09-14). "Mercury prize 2017 is won by Sampha's Process". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-22.

[29] Savage, Mark (2018-07-26). "Arctics and Jorja Smith on Mercury list". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-09-22.