Arctic Monkeys, RAYE and Jessie Ware’s albums are shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize with FREENOW.
Alex Turner and co have the chance to win their second Mercury Prize of their career with 2022’s ‘The Car’, having previously won the prestigious accolade for their seminal 2006 debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’.
It marks the ‘Mardy Bum’ group’s fifth nomination overall.
Comeback queen RAYE released ‘My 21st Century Blues’ independently after a brutal breakup from a major label and has earned herself her first-ever Mercury nod for the acclaimed collection.
Jessie Ware’s ‘That! Feels Good!’ has earned the disco pop star her second nomination after her 2012 effort ‘Devotion’ was shortlisted.
Studio wizard Fred Again.. – who has co-written and produced tracks for Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and George Ezra – has received his first nomination for ‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)’, which is part of a trilogy.
Elsewhere, Grime star J Hus, who was last nominated in 2017 for ‘Common Sense’, has made the shortlist again with his latest record, ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’.
The list is completed by British jazz quintet Ezra Collective’s LP ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’, cinematic pop duo Jockstrap’s (Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye) ‘I Love You Jennifer B’, Irish folk music group Lankum’s ‘False Lankum’, hip-hop star Loyle Carner’s ‘hugo’, rising star Olivia Dean’s ‘Messy’, genre-hopping Shygirl’s ‘Nymph’, and experimental Scottish group Young Fathers’ ‘Heavy Heavy’.
The judging panel of industry experts was once again headed up by Jeff Smith, head of music at BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.
The overall winner of the 2023 Mercury Prize with FREENOW ‘Album of the Year’ will be unveiled on September 7 at London’s Eventim Apollo.
The ceremony will feature live performances from many of the shortlisted artists and the evening will culminate in the announcement of the recipient.
Grab tickets via www.eventim.co.uk.
The Albums of the Year shortlist is:
Arctic Monkeys ‘The Car’
Ezra Collective ‘Where I’m Meant to Be’
Fred again.. ‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)’
J Hus ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’
Jessie Ware ‘That! Feels Good!’
Jockstrap ‘I Love You Jennifer B’
Lankum ‘False Lankum’
Loyle Carner ‘hugo’
Olivia Dean ‘Messy’
RAYE ‘My 21st Century Blues’
Shygirl ‘Nymph’
Young Fathers ‘Heavy Heavy’