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Mercury shortlist announced

By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 26 July 2018

The Mercury shortlist has been announced, with Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen and Everything Everything among those in the running to have their most recent musical efforts declared the best British album of the last year.

Over 200 of your new British and Irish LPs were submitted for consideration this year, which have now been whittled down to a final twelve. That shortlist of albums was announced at a noble gathering of shortlist of albums fans in London this morning.

The judging panel tasked with making that damn shortlist – and then cutting it down further to just one winner – consists of broadcasters Clara Amfo, Danielle Perry and MistaJam; Radio 2 and 6 Music Head Of Music Jeff Smith and Radio X Head Of Music Mike Walsh; journalists Harriet Gibsone, Phil Alexander and Will Hodgkinson; and musicians Ella Eyre, Jamie Cullum, Lianne La Havas and Marcus Mumford.

This year’s ceremony – where that overall winner will be unveiled as everyone else is officially branded a loser – is set to take place at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 20 Sep. Yeah it’s called the Hammersmith Apollo. Look at us getting through this whole story without namechecking either of the two brands that have bought ‘naming rights’ here.

We’re only namechecking Mercury because it no longer exists. Yeah Hyundai and Eventim, come back to us when you’re a defunct phone network, then we’ll namecheck you.

And the full shortlist is:

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
Everything Is Recorded – Everythign 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
Wolf Alice – Visions Of A Life