The 2026 Mercury Prize is awarded on Thursday, October 22, at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, the second year running the city has hosted it. Twelve British and Irish albums are shortlisted, at least seven of them released through labels owned by the three major record groups, and the winner takes home £25,000.
The judges, chaired by Jeff Smith, Head of Music at BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music, meet again on the day of the show to choose one album. Lauren Laverne hosts, and the night is broadcast on BBC Four from 9.30pm and on BBC Radio 6 Music. Ten acts perform one track each, Pulp playing on behalf of the HELP(2) charity album, while short films stand in for Dave and Paul McCartney.
Who is on the 2026 Mercury Prize shortlist?
The prize publishes each album's label on its own shortlist page. Here is the list as the Mercury Prize prints it.
| Artist | Album | Label (per mercuryprize.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Dave | The Boy Who Played the Harp | Neighbourhood Recordings |
| Dove Ellis | Blizzard | Black Butter Records/AMF Records |
| Florence + The Machine | Everybody Scream | Polydor Records |
| JADE | THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! | RCA/Sony Music |
| Knats | A Great Day In Newcastle | Fontana Records |
| Kojey Radical | Don't Look Down | Atlantic Records |
| Nia Archives | Emotional Junglist | Island Records |
| Olivia Dean | The Art of Loving | Capitol Records |
| Paul McCartney | The Boys of Dungeon Lane | EMI Records |
| RAYE | THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. | Human Re Sources |
| Suede | Antidepressants | BMG |
| War Child Records | HELP(2) | War Child Records |
What does this year's list say about labels and second albums?
Read the label column and one company dominates. Polydor, Fontana, Island, Capitol and EMI are all Universal Music imprints, so five of the twelve albums came through Universal. Add JADE on RCA (Sony) and Kojey Radical on Atlantic (Warner) and at least seven of the twelve sit with a major group. It is a striking showing for Universal in a year when its UK operation has been cutting costs at the top.
The other five came out on Neighbourhood Recordings, Black Butter/AMF, Human Re Sources, BMG and the charity label War Child Records, though even that split flatters the independents: Black Butter has run as a label inside Sony Music UK since 2014, and AMF was launched under Universal's Virgin EMI, so Dove Ellis's debut has major-label ties too. HELP(2) is the follow-up to the first HELP album from 1995: 15 original songs by British and Irish artists, executive produced by James Ford and mainly recorded at Abbey Road.
Only two records are debuts by the prize's own description: Dove Ellis's Blizzard and JADE's first solo album. The bigger story is the second album. Five acts are here with their follow-up, including RAYE, whose THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. debuted at No. 1, and Knats, the Newcastle jazz band whose A Great Day In Newcastle was produced by Geordie Greep. At the other end, Euronews noted that McCartney, at 84, has his first ever nomination. Two nominees have already won: Suede in 1993 and Dave in 2019, according to Official Charts.
Why does Newcastle matter for a second year?
2025 was the first time the prize left London, and Sam Fender won it at home with People Watching. In a joint statement reported by Rolling Stone UK, BPI chief executive Dr Jo Twist and BPI chair YolanDa Brown said last year's prize "and its brilliant performances and Fringe gave the region a £1.4m economic and cultural boost". This year's Fringe runs from October 15 to 22 with more than 30 events across the city, and the shortlist carries two North East acts in Knats and South Shields' JADE.
The cheque is £25,000. The prize itself says the bigger reward is the attention.
What is the £25,000 worth?
All twelve acts receive an "Album of the Year" trophy; the winner adds a second trophy and £25,000. The prize's own FAQ says that "more significantly" it "can ignite public awareness of the winning album." Fender gave his winnings to the Music Venue Trust, saying, as Rolling Stone UK reported, that the venues "are legendary, but they are struggling", a reminder of how thin money is in grassroots rooms.
The betting market has a view too. According to bookmakers' odds reported by NME on October 20, William Hill has Olivia Dean as the 3/1 favourite, with Nia Archives at 4/1 and RAYE at 9/2. William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said the market "suggests it is far from a done deal." The judges, who the prize says decide "solely on the quality of the music," give their answer on Thursday night.