Mercury Prize 2026

[PDAD]

Game's gone when Paul McCartney is getting a Mercury nomination in 2026

 

 

[Memory Man]

Knats should win - but they wont

 

if they give it to olivia dean just shut the whole thing down

[Olshansky]

Rooting for Dove Ellis here 

[Ben7amin_]

I Dont mind legacy acts getting nominated if its a new peak in there career, Like Pulp last time.

 

But im not sure when the dust settles and they talk about Paul McCartney career is this album one of the highlights people will pick up. 

 

 

I will of course make sure i give the albums ive not heard on the list a fair crack -    

 

[AtomsForPizza]

Do feel a lot more cynical about the Mercury now. Given the awards show is now an arena event, there's clearly a pressure on them to nominate mainstream acts in order to sell tickets for it. And not saying that Jade and Knats don't deserve to be nominated (haven't listened to either), but the fact the event is in Newcastle can't have nothing to do with that... (not to mention Fender winning last year, which frankly was a joke) 

 

Hard not to agree with this: https://www.clashmusic.com/features/this-years-mercury-prize-is-a-pivot-towards-the-mainstream/ 

[Justcalledtosay]

2 hours ago, AtomsForPizza said:

Do feel a lot more cynical about the Mercury now. Given the awards show is now an arena event, there's clearly a pressure on them to nominate mainstream acts in order to sell tickets for it. And not saying that Jade and Knats don't deserve to be nominated (haven't listened to either), but the fact the event is in Newcastle can't have nothing to do with that... (not to mention Fender winning last year, which frankly was a joke) 

 

Hard not to agree with this: https://www.clashmusic.com/features/this-years-mercury-prize-is-a-pivot-towards-the-mainstream/ 

Oh FFS! That explains a lot...

[snoochie1981]

4 hours ago, AtomsForPizza said:

Do feel a lot more cynical about the Mercury now. Given the awards show is now an arena event, there's clearly a pressure on them to nominate mainstream acts in order to sell tickets for it. And not saying that Jade and Knats don't deserve to be nominated (haven't listened to either), but the fact the event is in Newcastle can't have nothing to do with that... (not to mention Fender winning last year, which frankly was a joke) 

 

Hard not to agree with this: https://www.clashmusic.com/features/this-years-mercury-prize-is-a-pivot-towards-the-mainstream/ 

Also agree, it does feel that there isn’t much between the Mercury Prize and the Brit Awards these days.

 

This part sums it up for me “The complaint isn’t so much about the quality of the music, but more the disappearance of spaces for outsider voices in British music. With streaming algorithms feeling increasingly geared towards big names, and social media acting as a minefield, the Mercury’s pivot to the mainstream closes another door in the face of creative independence.”