Mercury Prize

The Mercury Prize, called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is a yearly music prize.  It is awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was formed by the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers in 1992.  It was an alternative to the Brit Awards. It used to be called the Mercury Music Prize.

The prize was first sponsored by Mercury Communications. It was later sponsored by Technics, from 1998 to 2001.  Then Panasonic, in 2002 and 2003, and the Nationwide Building Society, from 2004 to 2008.  Barclaycard became the Prize's current sponsor in March 2009.

Nominations are announced in July. Presentation of the award usually takes place in September. 

Winners and shortlisted nominees

YearWinnerShortlisted nomineesRef(s)1992 Primal Scream – ScreamadelicaBarry Adamson – Soul Murder
Jah Wobble – Rising Above Bedlam
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Honey's Dead
Bheki Mseleku – Celebration
Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha
Simply Red – Stars
U2 – Achtung Baby
John Tavener & Steven Isserlis –The Protecting Veil
Young Disciples – Road to Freedom1993 Suede – SuedeApache Indian – No Reservations
The Auteurs – New Wave
Gavin Bryars – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Dina Carroll – So Close
PJ Harvey – Rid of Me
New Order – Republic
Stereo MCs – Connected
Sting – Ten Summoner's Tales
Stan Tracey – Portraits Plus1994 M People – Elegant SlummingBlur – Parklife
Ian McNabb – Head Like a Rock
Shara Nelson – What Silence Knows
Michael Nyman – The Piano Concerto/MGV
The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation
Pulp – His 'n' Hers
Take That – Everything Changes
Therapy? – Troublegum
Paul Weller – Wild Wood1995 Portishead – DummyGuy Barker – Into the Blue
Elastica – Elastica
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
Leftfield – Leftism
James MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the Cross
Van Morrison – Days Like This
Oasis – Definitely Maybe
Supergrass – I Should Coco
Tricky – Maxinquaye1996 Pulp – Different ClassArtists for War Child – Help
Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah
Peter Maxwell Davies/BBC Philharmonic – The Beltane Fire / Caroline Mathilde
Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz Stories
Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
Norma Waterson – Norma Waterson1997 Roni Size/Reprazent – New FormsThe Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
Beth Orton – Trailer Park
Primal Scream – Vanishing Point
The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land
Radiohead – OK Computer
Spice Girls – Spice
Suede – Coming Up
John Tavener – Svyati
Mark-Anthony Turnage – Your Rockaby1998 Gomez – Bring It On4hero – Two Pages
Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi's Revenge
Eliza Carthy – Red Rice
Catatonia – International Velvet
Cornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th Time
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
Propellerheads – Decksandrumsandrockandroll
Pulp – This Is Hardcore
John Surman – Proverbs & Songs
The Verve – Urban Hymns
Robbie Williams – Life thru a Lens1999 Talvin Singh – Ok  Thomas Adès – Asyla
Denys Baptiste – Be Where You Are
Black Star Liner – Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!
Blur – 13
The Chemical Brothers – Surrender
Faithless – Sunday 8PM
Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Beth Orton – Central Reservation
Kate Rusby – Sleepless
Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails
Underworld – Beaucoup Fish2000 Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of BewilderbeastRichard Ashcroft – Alone with Everybody
Coldplay – Parachutes
M. J. Cole – Sincere
Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions
The Delgados – The Great Eastern
Doves – Lost Souls
Helicopter Girl – How to Steal the World
Leftfield – Rhythm and Stealth
Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto
Nitin Sawhney – Beyond Skin
Kathryn Williams – Little Black Numbers2001 PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the SeaBasement Jaxx – Rooty
Elbow – Asleep in the Back
Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain
Gorillaz – Gorillaz (nomination withdrawn at the request of the band)
Ed Harcourt – Here Be Monsters
Tom McRae – Tom McRae
Radiohead – Amnesiac
Susheela Raman – Salt Rain
Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World
Turin Brakes – The Optimist LP
Zero 7 – Simple Things2002 Ms. Dynamite – A Little DeeperGuy Barker – Soundtrack
The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me
David Bowie – Heathen
The Coral –  The Coral
Doves – The Last Broadcast
The Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the Wall
Gemma Hayes – Night on My Side
Beverley Knight – Who I Am
Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me
Joanna MacGregor – Play
The Streets – Original Pirate Material2003 Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da CornerAthlete – Vehicles and Animals
Eliza Carthy – Anglicana
Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head
The Darkness – Permission to Land
Floetry – Floetic
Soweto Kinch – Conversations with the Unseen
Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons
The Thrills – So Much for the City
Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
Terri Walker – Untitled2004 Franz Ferdinand – Franz FerdinandBasement Jaxx – Kish Kash
Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Jamelia – Thank You 
Keane – Hopes and Fears
Snow Patrol – Final Straw
Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions
The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free
Ty – Upwards
Amy Winehouse – Frank
Robert Wyatt – Cuckooland
The Zutons – Who Killed...... The Zutons?2005 Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird NowBloc Party – Silent Alarm
Coldplay – X&Y
Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV
Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope
M.I.A. – Arular
Maxïmo Park – A Certain Trigger
Polar Bear – Held on the Tips of Fingers
Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay
The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike
The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers2006 Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotIsobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas
Editors – The Back Room
Guillemots – Through the Windowpane
Richard Hawley – Coles Corner
Hot Chip – The Warning
Muse – Black Holes & Revelations
Zoe Rahman – Melting Pot
Lou Rhodes – Beloved One
Scritti Politti – White Bread Black Beer
Sway – This Is My Demo
Thom Yorke – The Eraser2007 Klaxons – Myths of the Near FutureArctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford – Basquiat Strings
Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold
Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English
Maps – We Can Create
New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
Fionn Regan – The End of History
Jamie T – Panic Prevention
The View – Hats Off to the Buskers
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men2008 Elbow – The Seldom Seen KidAdele – 19
British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial – Untrue
Estelle – Shine
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon – Stainless Style
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Portico Quartet – Knee Deep In The North Sea
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns2009 Speech Debelle – Speech TherapyBat for Lashes – Two Suns
Florence and the Machine – Lungs
Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
Glasvegas – Glasvegas
Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
The Horrors – Primary Colours
The Invisible – The Invisible
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
La Roux – La Roux
Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men2010 The xx – xxBiffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue n' Cheek
Foals – Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot – Sky at Night
Kit Downes Trio – Golden
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers2011 PJ Harvey – Let England ShakeAdele – 21
Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything – Man Alive
Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock – Good Days at Schloss Elmau
James Blake – James Blake
Katy B – On a Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
Metronomy – The English Riviera
Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy2012 Alt-J – An Awesome WaveBen Howard – Every Kingdom
Django Django – Django Django
Field Music – Plumb
Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky's Edge
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough?
Sam Lee – Ground of its Own
The Maccabees – Given to the Wild
Plan B – ill Manors
Roller Trio – Roller Trio
Jessie Ware – Devotion2013 James Blake – OvergrownArctic Monkeys – AM
David Bowie – The Next Day
Disclosure – Settle
Foals – Holy Fire
Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg
Jon Hopkins –  Immunity
Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle
Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon
Rudimental – Home
Savages – Silence Yourself
Villagers – {Awayland}2014 Young Fathers – DeadAnna Calvi – One Breath
Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots
East India Youth – Total Strife Forever
FKA twigs – LP1
GoGo Penguin – V2.0
Jungle – Jungle
Kate Tempest – Everybody Down
Nick Mulvey – First Mind
Polar Bear – In Each and Every One
Royal Blood – Royal Blood2015 Benjamin Clementine – At Least for NowAphex Twin – Syro
Gaz Coombes – Matador
C Duncan – Architect
Eska – Eska
Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin
Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys
Slaves – Are You Satisfied?
SOAK – Before We Forgot How to Dream
Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool
Jamie xx – In Colour2016 Skepta – KonnichiwaAnohni – Hopelessness
Bat for Lashes – The Bride
David Bowie – Blackstar
Jamie Woon – Making Time
Kano – Made in the Manor
Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room
Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Savages – Adore Life
The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
The Comet Is Coming – Channel the Spirits2017Sampha – Process alt-J – Relaxer
 The Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension
 Blossoms – Blossoms
 Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone
 Dinosaur – Together, As One
 Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being
 J Hus – Common Sense
 Ed Sheeran – ÷
 Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
 Kate Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos
 The xx – I See You2018Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
 Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
 Everything Is Recorded – Everything 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

Related pages
 Choice Music Prize (Ireland)
 Polaris Music Prize (Canada)
 Prix Constantin (France)
 Shortlist Music Prize (United States)
 Australian Music Prize (Australia)

References

Other websites
Official site

Category:British music
Category:Music awards