2026 Mercury Prize Shortlist Announced with McCartney RAYE

The nominees for the 2026 Mercury Prize have been announced, placing legendary figures alongside rising stars on the eclectic annual shortlist celebrating British and Irish music. The twelve albums in contention were revealed on July 30, with artists including Paul McCartney, RAYE, Olivia Dean, Dave, JADE, Suede, and a charity compilation from War Child Records among those selected.

Paul McCartney earns his first-ever nomination for his 20th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Other prominent nominees include RAYE with THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE, Olivia Dean for The Art of Loving, Dave for The Boy Who Played the Harp, and Florence + The Machine for Everybody Scream. The shortlist also features Irish songwriter Dove Ellis, London artist Kojey Radical, jazz and poetry group Knats from Newcastle, electronic musician Nia Archives, former Little Mix star JADE, the returning band Suede, and the War Child compilation HELP2.

Albums eligible for this year's award were required to have been released between August 30, 2025, and July 17, 2026. The list of nominees was selected by an independent judging panel based solely on artistic merit, irrespective of commercial success. The panel...