The Hyundai Mercury Prize 2016

The Mercury Prize, one of the most prestigious awards within the music industry, returns for its 25th year!

Since 1992 the Album of the Year has celebrated the best in British and Irish talent, with previous winners including Elbow, PJ Harvey and The Arctic Monkeys.

The winner is chosen by a judging panel made up of industry insiders, music journalists and musicians with the 2016 panel including Jamie Cullum, Annie Mac and Jarvis Cocker, among others.

The 25th annual awards ceremony will be taking place at the Eventim Apollo in London on Thursday 15 September where nominees will perform and the winner awarded with their trophy and a £25,000 prize. The first 12 nominations were revealed on Thursday 4 August and are as follows:

Anohni – 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 and Hate
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Savages - Adore Life
Skepta – Konnichiwa
The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep...
The Comet Is Coming - Channel The Spirits

Speaking ahead of the awards, this year’s judging panel said: “This is music to make sense of our unsettling times - heartfelt, angry, thoughtful and thrilling. The 2016 Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ are marked by their musical ambitions, unexpected instrumentation and breathtaking arrangements.”

The online vote is now open which will allow fans to choose the first of six finalists from the above shortlist, with the five remaining finalists and overall winner being chosen by the juding panel.