These 12 acts have been nominated for the 2020 Mercury Prize

Anna Meredith is one of 12 acts who have been nominated for the Mercury Prize (Getty Images)Anna Meredith is one of 12 acts who have been nominated for the Mercury Prize (Getty Images)
Anna Meredith is one of 12 acts who have been nominated for the Mercury Prize (Getty Images)

Laura Marling, Stormzy and Dua Lipa are among the 12 acts who have been shortlisted for the 2020 Mercury Prize.

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Judges described the album FIBS by Meredith – who spent her childhood in South Queensferry - as “a rich, ultra-inventive, sprawling, sublime, ambitious tsunami of synths and strings by Anna Meredith”.

Grime godfather Kano, jazz drummer Moses Boyd and pop star Charli XCX are both in the running for the prize, previously known as the Mercury Music Prize, which is awarded on September 10.

Indie outfit Sports Team, singer songwriter Georgia and Tyneside group lanterns on the Lake were also included on the Mercury Prize shortlist.

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The Mercury Prize honours the best album released in the UK by a British or Irish artist. Previous winners include Primal Scream, Pulp and Wolf Alice.

Who is on the Mercury Prize shortlist 2020?

- Laura Marling, ‘A Song For Our Daughter’

- Dua Lipa, ‘Future Nostalgia’

- Porridge Radio, ‘Every Bad’

- Sports Team, ‘Deep Down Happy’

- Kano, Hoodies ‘All Summer’

- Anna Meredith, ‘FIBS’

- Georgia, ‘Seeking Thrills’

- Lanterns on the Lake, ‘Spook the Herd’

- Moses Boyd, ‘Dark Matter’

- Charli XCX, ‘how i’m feeling now’

- Stormzy, ‘Heavy is the Head that Wears The Crown’

-Michael Kiwanuka, ‘Kiwanuka’

‘Extraordinary year for music’

The Mercury Prize nominees were announced by Lauren Laverne on Radio 6 Music.

Laverne lauded the shortlist saying “this has been an extraordinary year for music. I have 12 shortlisted artists to unveil. It’s always a close-run thing, it’s always a tight list, it’s always a hot debate – and so it should be.”

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Mercury organisers said that it was important to celebrate music despite the coronavirus pandemic.

It said: “We, along with BBC Music, the Prize’s broadcast partner, believe that it is important in the current crisis to continue to showcase and celebrate the achievements of British & Irish artists and musicians.

When will the winner be announced?

The winner of the Mercury Music Prize will be announced on September 10 at a ceremony in London.

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It remains unclear whether a live audience will be in attendance.

Who won last year’s Mercury Music Prize?

Last year’s Mercury Prize was claimed by grime artist Dave for his album Psychodrama which judges praised for “remarkable levels of musicianship, true artistry, courage, honesty”.

Young Fathers were the last Scottish act to claim the prestigious prize with their album dead in 2014.

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