IT’s that time of year again. Another year of great album releases all gunning for the Mercury Prize.
Last year saw indie rock band English Teacher take home the prize with their album This Could be Texas. The album was a critical success and blended indie-prog, rock, folk electronica, and post-punk.
The judges declared that the album stood out for it’s “originality and character.”
They became the first band outside of London to win the award since 2014.
When is the Mercury Prize?
The Mercury Prize will take place on Thursday 16th October 2025
The ceremony will be held at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle
The event is due to begin at 7pm and draw to a close around 10.15pm
The winner will be announced from 9.30pm from which point proceedings will be broadcast on BBC 4.
What is the Mercury Prize prize money?
The Mercury Prize winner will recieve a £25,000 cash prize.
The winner will also be given with a specially commisioned trophy.
All 12 artists who made the Mercury Prize shortlist will also receive a trophy to acknowledge their album’s inclusion on the shortlist.
Who are the Mercury Prize 2025 nominees?
- CMAT – Euro-Country – Her third studio album, she describes it as the “type of loss, pain and lack of community that she feels that are suffering from under modern capital isolation”
- Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo– This is the second studio album from the Jazz musician. The album is emotionally powerful; hitting on themes of depression, mental health and the impact of grief.
- FKA Twigs – Eusexua– Her third album and first body of work in five years; the album has been praised for it’s empowering and confessional qualities.
- Fontaines DC – Romance– The album is a successful shift in style for the Irish group as they take a break from Irish themes and delve into a wider pool of sounds.
- Jacob Alon – In Limerence– This is the Scottish singer’s debut album and he has made a strong indie rock body of work. It looks like he is definitely one to look out for.
- Joe Webb – Hamstrings and Hurricanes – The Welsh singer has made a project that uses Jazz to infuse his Welsh upbringing with 90’s Britpop and emotional depth is the result of two combining.
- Martin Carthy – Transform Me Then Into a Fish– A leading figure in the British folk scene since the 1960’s, he has become the oldest nominee in history at 84.
- Pa Salieu – Afrikan Alien– The British- Gambian has produced a strong second album that explored freedom, family and feeling like an alien in the UK.
- PinkPantheress – Fancy That– Her second mixtape is a UK garage and Jungle influenced pop record. She describes at as the “most tied together project” she has made.
- Pulp – More – Their eighth album and first in twenty four years marks a defiant comeback and a refreshing take on middle age.
- Sam Fender – People Watching – Describing it as “colourful stories and observations of everyday characters living their everyday, but often extraordinary, lives.”, his third album has been an undeniable success.
- Wolf Alice – The Clearing – This is the band’s fourth studio album and succeeds in its ability to draw influence from the 1970s and yet still remain firmly in the presence.