Mercury Prize 2026: Album of the Year

Lauren Laverne presents the Mercury Prize Album of the Year from the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.

The 2026 shortlisted artists are: Dave, Dove Ellis, Florence + The Machine, Jade, Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives, Olivia Dean, Paul McCartney, Raye, Suede and a collaborative album on War Child Records.

Each of their albums reflect the diverse nature of British and Irish music over the past year and cover a wide range of contemporary genres. All of the 12 shortlisted albums will be celebrated, with many of the artists performing live, and culminating in the announcement of 2026’s overall winner, as selected by an esteemed panel of judges comprised of broadcasters, musicians and industry tastemakers.

Here’s a closer look at the shortlist:

The Boy Who Played the Harp is the No 1 album from south London rapper Dave, exploring faith, fame, mortality, relationships and existential anxiety as he returns to the Mercury shortlist as one of two previous winners.

Galway-born indie-folk songwriter Dove Ellis gets a nod for his self-produced and deeply intimate debut album, Blizzard, which sees the Irish enigma shift between moments of fragile intimacy and soaring arrangements.

Everybody Scream is the sixth album from Florence Welch, aka Florence + The Machine, who makes the shortlist for a fourth time with an offering influenced by spiritual mysticism, witchcraft and folk horror.

South Shields’ Jade bagged the fastest-selling debut album by a UK artist in 2025 with That's Showbiz Baby!, a long-awaited first solo offering that navigates the highs and lows of the music industry, relationships and inner demons, all soundtracked by dancefloor-ready anthems.

Also from the north east are Knats, who describe their album A Great Day in Newcastle as a 'musical documentation of the north east working class experience'. The record tackles hard subjects including substance abuse, crime and toxic masculinity through a 'Geordie jazz' soundscape and was produced by Geordie Greep of former Mercury-shortlisted black midi.

Kojey Radical makes it two for two as the east London multi-hyphenate artist returns to the shortlist for a second time with his 16-track follow-up, Don't Look Down, blending rap with soul and R&B to explore fatherhood, legacy, imposter syndrome and success.

Also receiving a second nod is Bradford-born, Leeds-raised Nia Archives for her second album, Emotional Junglist, a self-assured collision of jungle beats and intimate expression following heartbreak, with features from Sampha and Jorja Smith.

The Art of Loving earns Olivia Dean a return to the shortlist, with the East Londoner’s second album offering a tender exploration of love in all forms while becoming the longest-running No 1 album by a British female artist this decade.

Paul McCartney is shortlisted for the first time for his nineteenth solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Co-produced by the former Beatle himself and Andrew Watt, the record is a nostalgic look back on his childhood in Liverpool and mixes his trademark songwriting with contemporary production.

This Music May Contain Hope debuted at No 1 in the charts and marks a second Mercury nod for south London’s Raye. The deeply personal 17-track opus moves across jazz, pop, R&B, soul and orchestral influences, transforming personal turmoil into an ambitious exploration of resilience and renewal.

Suede make a long-awaited return to the shortlist, their first since 1997, and more than three decades after winning the Prize in 1993. The band get the nod for their tenth studio album, Antidepressants, which explores the anxieties and paranoia of modern life, with frontman Brett Anderson saying 'We are all striving for connection in a disconnected world'.

And completing the list is Help (2), a brand new collaborative album on War Child Records inspired by the 1995 landmark release Help. The spirit of the original release is brought to life through an incredible line-up of artists and was produced by the prolific James Ford at Abbey Road Studios.