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Posted by: DalekTurret32 18th July 2020, 08:05 PM

Winner will be revealed on 10/09/2020 (date subject to change)


Here's what I think might make it to the shortlist

FKA twigs (hoping for this to happen)
At least one UK rap entry (Stormzy, J Hus)
Electronic music (Floating Points, Squarepusher)
The Mercury Prize mainly focuses on albums by relative newcomers, so I'm guessing The Murder Capital, Sports Team, Georgia, Sam Fender, Pottery and Porridge Radio
At least one commercial success (Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Dermot Kennedy)
A jazz album (Moses Boyd)
Jehnny Beth (both of Savages' albums got nominated, so this solo effort might receive one)
The 1975
Nadine Shah
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes
Jessie Ware




Personal wishlist: Foals, Bat For Lashes, Michael Kiwanuka, King Krule, Temples (their most recent album isn't as good as Volcano, but it would be nice to see them make it), Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 18th July 2020, 08:19 PM

Wow this has come around quick!

When was the close off date for releases?

Posted by: Bré 18th July 2020, 08:23 PM

Yes please @ Floating Points and Squarepusher (maybe Four Tet could be in contention too?)

I reckon the win is FKA twigs' to lose.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 18th July 2020, 08:24 PM

I'd love Sports Team to be nominated just for the mental performance they'd give (and they absolutely deserve it)

Posted by: Bjork 18th July 2020, 09:09 PM

FKA Twigs is the most critically acclaimed UK album from last year I guess
maybe they could also include Laura Marling, she was nominated quite a few times I think and the new album is a return to form

Posted by: George.keh 18th July 2020, 09:25 PM

I think Jessie has a good chance of being nominated!

Posted by: lewistgreen 18th July 2020, 09:41 PM

Just want Georgia and Jessie Ware on there

I reckon Four Tet is in with a shot too

Posted by: Chemistry 19th July 2020, 08:15 AM

Hoping to see FKA, Jessie and Georgia on there at least!

Posted by: DalekTurret32 19th July 2020, 11:17 AM

QUOTE(WhoOdyssey @ Jul 18 2020, 09:19 PM)

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 19th July 2020, 11:36 AM

Fontaines just missing out by a couple of weeks then! Haven't heard it yet of course, but I'd love them to win it next year.

Posted by: SLlewellyn 19th July 2020, 05:32 PM

Michael Kiwanuka will almost certainly get a nomination. FKA Twigs and Tom Misch/Yussef Dayes are great shouts too.

Posted by: blacksquare 19th July 2020, 06:02 PM

'Magdalene' has to take this

what an album

Posted by: Bjork 20th July 2020, 07:15 AM

when are the nominees announced?

Posted by: DalekTurret32 20th July 2020, 09:14 AM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 20 2020, 08:15 AM)

Posted by: lewistgreen 20th July 2020, 06:50 PM

Looks like 6 Music is the place to be on Thursday morning for the announcement

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 22nd July 2020, 09:25 AM

I'm going to go for Harry Styles, and the 6Music listeners will be fuming

Posted by: dandy* 22nd July 2020, 04:23 PM

I'd be reasonably happy with Harry getting a nod.

I really want the winner to either be FKA Twigs or Jessie Ware though, they had better both be on the shortlist!

Posted by: Bré 22nd July 2020, 04:48 PM

I'm actually surprised at how little snobbery I've seen to Harry Styles' solo music, I'm sure there is some out there if you look for it but 'Fine Line' has been pretty critically acclaimed hasn't it? Kind of feels to me that he's largely escaped the stigma of being a former boyband member.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 22nd July 2020, 04:55 PM

Yeah I've been pleasantly surprised by it as well, though I remember them being quite snobby when he performed on Jools Holland last year.

(and I'm pretty sure there would be a lot of unjust negativity if he does get the nomination here, I hope I'm wrong if it happens though)

Posted by: dandy* 22nd July 2020, 05:11 PM

I think Harry's managed the transition really well, I like quite a lot of his tracks and it feels very much like we're seeing the type of music he always wanted to make. Reminds me of how well Will Young divorced himself from Pop Idol by following his own musical tastes.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:25 AM

Being announced in 5 minutes on 6music! As always, I'd stay off twitter afterwards

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:38 AM

Oh they're doing it one at a time first up is Laura Marling. I'll check back once they've done them all.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:40 AM

Dua Lipa!! That'll turn a few heads

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:42 AM

Porridge Radio now, brilliant to see them there

(I'm listening to the whole thing now )

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:50 AM

Ayyy Sports Team!

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:54 AM

Kano now, haven't heard it but the clips they just played sounded decent.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 09:55 AM

Anna Meredith, another one I haven't heard but I'll have to now! Sounds euphoric

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:00 AM

Laura Marling's fourth nomination! Incredible.

Great to see her, Dua and Kano announced.
Loving the sound of Anna Meredith from this.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:01 AM

Take That and the Spice Girls have been nominated at the Mercurys before, never knew that

(it's a great to comeback to people complaining they're too mainstream now!)

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:02 AM

Georgia! So well deserved.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:02 AM

Georgia now! This is shaping to be one of the best years for me

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:07 AM

Lanterns on the Lake next, I've only heard this name a few times - I'll have to check them out.

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:09 AM

nicest list so far, cannot complain

bit nervous there's no FKA twigs yet

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:10 AM

how many nominees are there gonna be? 10?

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:11 AM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 23 2020, 11:10 AM)

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:13 AM

drummer Moses Boyd now, another one that sounds good from the clips

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:14 AM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 23 2020, 11:09 AM)

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:14 AM

nice there are so many female alt-singer songwriters nominated

of course they had to have the 1 jazz album, but Moses is cool

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:17 AM

Charli XCX! Wasn't expecting her at all, but it's a pleasant surprise.

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:17 AM

wow that's unexpected

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:18 AM

YES CHARLI! So glad she's been nominated.
Such an achievement for an album made in such a short amount of time and in the circumstances.

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:19 AM

The album 'Charli' would've also been eligible, but I think they made the right choice

Posted by: Jade 23rd July 2020, 10:21 AM

Pleased to see a positive reaction to Anna Meredith in here *.* I've liked everything of hers that I've come across.

Wow at Dua

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:22 AM

Stormzy now, has FKA missed out

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:22 AM

boo the list was too good to be true
first album in the list that is a big no from me

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:23 AM

Twigs has got to be the last one surely?

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:23 AM

no FKA Twigs :/

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:23 AM

Michael Kiwanuka is last

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:24 AM

glad Kiwanuka is in, really great album
but shocked at FKA Twigs

Posted by: Cremey 23rd July 2020, 10:25 AM

Genuinely shocked at no FKA Twigs. Don't understand that whatsoever.

Gutted there's no Jessie or Rina too :'(

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 10:25 AM

really like all the female singer-songwriters they've picked, all different but all great
also like Kiwanuka, also Sports Team and even the jazz guy and even Kano

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:25 AM

My choice would be Sports Team, but it'll probably be Kiwanuka

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 10:26 AM

Sam Fender is also a disappointing omission :/

Posted by: Suedehead2 23rd July 2020, 10:35 AM

Good to see Sports Team in there. Add me to the list of people who would have been perfectly happy to have seen Harry Styles in there. Fine Lines is a good album. The Dua Lipa album is a good pop album but I prefer Harry's.

Posted by: lewistgreen 23rd July 2020, 10:37 AM

Dua and Georgia

Posted by: Suedehead2 23rd July 2020, 10:44 AM

Yes, Georgia is a welcome inclusion. It would have been good to see Sam Fender (as Whody said) in there too but, alas, it was not to be,

Posted by: blacksquare 23rd July 2020, 10:47 AM

Genuinely shocked at the lack of FKA twigs — I thought she had a chance of winning the entire thing

More acclaimed than the entire shortlist this year...

Posted by: SevenSeize 23rd July 2020, 10:51 AM

Anna Meredith FIBS is a fantastic album i didn't expect the Merc to get behind, deserved spots for Charli and Dua also

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 11:26 AM

rooting for Laura Marling to finally win it, her album is a return to form

Posted by: Liam.k. 23rd July 2020, 11:57 AM

Sales of the nominated albums, courtesy of Music Week:

Posted by: Bré 23rd July 2020, 12:00 PM

Well my prediction of FKA twigs being the favourite is out of the window immediately lol x That's a really shocking omission! Sad at the lack of Jessie Ware as well.

This list is... pretty disappointing on the whole, should have let DalekTurret decide the nominees instead clearly. There are only 3 albums there I have heard in full, Charli and Dua both had great pop albums so I guess I am going full poptimist and rooting for one of those two (preferably Charli), the other one I've heard is Stormzy and his album I found pretty underwhelming.

Based on what I have heard from the others I am happy to see Anna Meredith (not my first choice for a token electronic pick but still good) and Michael Kiwanuka nominated as well (and I see Kiwanuka is the favourite so I guess I'd be happy with that x), Kano and Georgia both also had one single from their current albums that I could get behind, as for the rest I can't really say I care at all unfortunately. Not heard anything from Lanterns On The Lake in fairness.

Posted by: dandy* 23rd July 2020, 12:20 PM

The stormzy inclusion is a misfire imo, it’s really nothing special. Everything else is pretty decent so it’s probably one of the stronger lists in recent years... just missing the two best albums!

I’d be up for a Dua Lipa win

Posted by: Chez Wombat 23rd July 2020, 12:23 PM

Anna Meredith That has instantly made me take notice of this, go check her out people, every one of her songs is amazing!

Posted by: n'tAlice 23rd July 2020, 12:27 PM

lol stormzy

Posted by: blacksquare 23rd July 2020, 12:42 PM

The Georgia album is incredibly basic.

Some strange choices here.

Posted by: n'tAlice 23rd July 2020, 12:50 PM

BBC: "Mercury Prize 2020: Female artists lead nominations for the first time"

it's almost never above 20%, equality achieved, female artists FINALLY made "serious" music that year!!! (back to the usual 20% in 2021 tho one year is enough)

Posted by: Bré 23rd July 2020, 12:50 PM

I should maybe check out the rest of the Anna Meredith album but while we're having a collective forum stan moment over her I'll implore everyone to at the very least check out this music video which is a thing of beauty xx

Posted by: SKOB 23rd July 2020, 02:12 PM

No SAWAYAMA or FKA Twigs? Well, choices have been made...

Posted by: Soy Adrián 23rd July 2020, 02:39 PM

Slightly odd looking shortlist. 2019's was great, the best I remember in ages.

Definitely a shame for Rina Sawayama not making it. Suspected The 1975 wouldn't - 'A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships' probably deserved to win it but it's been recognised by nearly everyone that 'Notes on a Conditional Form' is a drop off in quality and probably a bit too messy for the Mercury.

Posted by: Bjork 23rd July 2020, 02:41 PM

really? for me the 2019 list was like the worst ever, this is a million times better

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 23rd July 2020, 02:46 PM

Overall I think this year's is stronger. But there's more that I loved in 2019 (Fontaines, The 1975, Idles, black midi, Foals) - but there were 3/4 I didn't like at all.

This year I like all but Stormzy really.

Posted by: blacksquare 23rd July 2020, 03:08 PM

I'm not bitter at all

Posted by: Steve201 23rd July 2020, 10:49 PM

Really love stormzys album don't understand the hate.

Also love Laura Marling, Georgia, Kiwanuka and like Dua but if they were going down that route why not Jessie instead?

Posted by: RabbitFurCoat 25th July 2020, 07:45 AM

I think this is a good list, and none of the omissions I’d be particularly bothered about, not been able to get into that Twigs album anywhere near as much as I’d have hoped. Happy for the favourite to win, really like what I’ve heard of Kiwanuka.

Posted by: Bré 25th July 2020, 01:41 PM

I can't really pretend that I even care that much about FKA twigs either (I haven't even listened to the album as I found the singles very hit or miss, though I did love 'sad day' and 'holy terrain'), she just seems like a really bizarre person to snub given the universal acclaim her album had. I saw plenty of people being mad at the BRITs for not nominating her album and that's both more mainstream and with fewer nomination slots, for the Mercury to snub her as well is just baffling!

Posted by: Jade 29th July 2020, 08:59 AM

So Rina wasn't eligible:

Posted by: Bré 29th July 2020, 09:53 PM

Well that's very disappointing to hear if they really weren't even considering her because of her not technically being a British citizen. They're not a government organisation, I'm not sure why they feel the need to enforce that criteria so rigidly?

Posted by: Steve201 30th July 2020, 04:43 PM

Yeh I mean there must be loads of people in big cities like London in this position?!

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 24th September 2020, 03:08 PM

Well this is being announced on... The One Show later on

Performance show was on BBC 4 last night, Sports Team were brilliant

Posted by: Doctor Blind 24th September 2020, 03:21 PM

I can't bring myself to watch 'The One Show' but will be listening over on 6Music.

Rooting for Moses Boyd!

Posted by: jlj 24th September 2020, 04:19 PM

Michael Kiwanuka Is my prediction for who I think will win.

I’d love Dua to get it but it’s unlikely that a huge female pop album would get it.

(Hoping it’s not Sports Team though, those heathens ).

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 24th September 2020, 04:24 PM

Sacrilege x

Posted by: blacksquare 24th September 2020, 04:29 PM

Praying for FKA twigs to appear with her little sword and steal her deserved win from the nominees

Posted by: Doctor Blind 24th September 2020, 06:14 PM

Ooh they're playing Anna Meredith “Paramour” on 6Music - forgotten what a BANGER this is. Former Doctor Blind chart #1 of course!

Posted by: Doctor Blind 24th September 2020, 06:30 PM

QUOTE(jlj @ Sep 24 2020, 05:19 PM)

Posted by: WhoOdyssey 24th September 2020, 06:30 PM

Michael's won then! I thought it was a decent album, but it wasn't a massive favourite of mine last year - happy for him though.

Fontaines for next year hopefully

Posted by: Klaus 24th September 2020, 06:33 PM

Definitely well deserved!

I bought his first album but wasn’t massively drawn to it, and kind of skipped over the second but I remember randomly hearing ‘Rolling’ and immediately being drawn to it and straight away downloading the full album!

Posted by: Steve201 24th September 2020, 07:23 PM

Is that his first win after the third nomination?

He’s definitely an artist hugely underrated in the UK(before tonight) as imo his second album especially is produced beautifully and he has the voice of a modern day Otis Reading. The current album is great too!

Pretty happy I spent 9 quid on tickets at my local venue in 2012 before he won the Sound Of to see him live.

Posted by: Bré 24th September 2020, 10:00 PM

The predictable winner winning then - but as I think I posted earlier in the thread I'm more than happy with that, really liked most of what I have heard from this Kiwanuka album. Also that's good for him that he has finally won it after missing out twice before.

I gave a belated listen to Dave's album after it won last year and I might do the same here. x

Posted by: Doctor Blind 24th September 2020, 10:16 PM

QUOTE(Steve201 @ Sep 24 2020, 08:23 PM)