2020 Mercury Prize Albums of the Year revealed

23 July 2020, 12:46 | Updated: 23 July 2020, 12:59

Laura Marling, Michael Kiwanuka, Georgia, Sports Team and Stormzy are among the nods for the 2020 Mercury Prize. Picture: 1. Press/Justin Tyler Close 2. Press/Olivia Rose 3. Press/Hollie Fernando 4. Press/Jamie MacMillan 5. Press/Atlantic Records

The likes of Stormzy, Laura Marling, Sports Team and Michael Kiwanuka have been shortlisted for the coveted Mercury Prize. See the full list here.

The nominations for the The 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize Albums of the Year have been announced.

Among the nods for the prestigious award - which celebrates the best of British and Irish albums - are the likes of Laura Marling with her Song for Our Daughter album, Michael Kiwanuka for his critically acclaimed KIWANUKA, Georgia with Seeking Thrills, Sports Team with Deep Down Happy and last year's Glasto headliner Stormzy with Heavy Is the Head.

While it's unlikely the ceremony - which has taken place at The Hammersmith Eventim Apollo in recent years - will take place in September due to government restrictions, the overall winner will be announced on 24 September 2020.

Last year saw Dave scoop up the prize for his debut album Psychodrama.

Foals - On The Luna (with Felix White)

The Mercury Prize judges this year are: Anna Calvi – Musician & Songwriter; Annie Mac – Broadcaster & DJ; Danielle Perry – Broadcaster & Writer; Gaz Coombes - Musician & Songwriter; Gemma Cairney – Broadcaster & DJ; Jamie Cullum - Musician & Broadcaster; Jeff Smith - Head of Music, 6 Music & Radio 2; Jorja Smith – Musician & Songwriter; Mike Walsh - Music Consultant – Kendal Calling/bluedot Festivals, War Child; Phil Alexander – Creative Director, Kerrang!/Contributing Editor, Mojo; Tshepo Mokoena – Editorial Director, VICE.com; Will Hodgkinson - Chief Rock & Pop Critic, The Times. The Chair of the judging panel is Jeff Smith.

The judges said of today's announcement: "In these difficult and uncertain times the Hyundai Mercury Prize is proud to celebrate the remarkable power of music to inspire and exhilarate. The albums on the 2020 shortlist showcase a great diversity of sounds, styles, ambitions and experience. What these albums share is an irresistible urgency, a belief that their music matters more than ever."

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive at record labels association, the BPI, which organises the Hyundai Mercury Prize, said: "Extraordinary music for extraordinary times. The Mercury Prize is back, reminding us that the creative brilliance of our artists is a constant, even when the world is turned upside down. We believe it’s all the more important this year for the Mercury Prize to shine a spotlight on 12 exceptional Albums of the Year, spanning an eclectic gamut of genres and uniting the biggest names in music with the most exciting new talent. These records tell stories, dig deep into the personal experiences of their creators and represent the best in contemporary music. We congratulate all the shortlisted artists and thank our expert judges and our partners, Hyundai and YouTube Music, for supporting this year’s Prize."

See the full list of 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize Albums of the Year:

Anna Meredith FIBS
Charli XCX how i’m feeling now
Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia
Georgia Seeking Thrills
Kano Hoodies All Summer
Lanterns on the Lake Spook the Herd
Laura Marling Song for Our Daughter
Michael Kiwanuka KIWANUKA
Moses Boyd Dark Matter
Porridge Radio Every Bad
Sports Team Deep Down Happy
Stormzy Heavy is the Head