Singer-songwriter Charli XCX, rapper Ghetts and indie rock band The Last Dinner Party are among the nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize, organisers of the British music award said on Thursday, with debut albums making up more than half of the shortlist.

First handed out to rockers Primal Scream in 1992, the annual 25,000 pounds ($32,202) prize shortlists 12 albums released by British and Irish acts in the United Kingdom in the past year.

Considered less mainstream than Britain’s pop music honours the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize is open to all music genres.

Charli XCX is nominated for “Brat”, whose lime green album cover look was adopted by U.S. presidential hopeful Kamala Harris’ campaign for her “Kamala HQ” social media account this week after the pop star referenced her in a post.

Ghetts is in the running for his fourth studio album “On Purpose, with Purpose” while The Last Dinner Party are nominated for their debut “Prelude to Ecstasy”.

Other debut studio albums making the shortlist are “Silence Is Loud” by producer, DJ and singer Nia Archives, “Early Twenties” by British-Liberian singer Cat Burns, 

“When Will We Land?” by Scottish electronic producer and DJ Barry Can’t Swim and 

“Who Am I” by Trinidad-born rapper Berwyn, who was previously nominated for his debut mixtape “Demotape/Vega”

Portishead singer and lyricist Beth Gibbons is nominated for her first solo album 

“Lives Outgrown” while musician and producer corto.alto is in the running for debut 

“Bad With Names”.

Completing the list are group English Teacher’s debut “This Could Be Texas”, singer Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Black Rainbows” and Irish musician CMAT for “Crazymad, for Me”.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in September.

Last year, Ezra Collective won for “Where I’m Meant to Be”, the first jazz album to ever take home the award.

Source: Reuters
--Agencies