The news is out! Chosen by a team of esteemed judges (including one-time Forty-Five legend Sophie Williams), the Mercury Music Prize shortlist for 2024 has been confirmed, announced live on BBC 6Music this morning. As usual, it’s an eclectic mix of releases, with debut albums, dance music and records inspired by female life stages dominating the line-up.
Designed to recognise artistic achievement across a range of genres, albums are eligible if they are made by artists or bands of predominantly British and Irish origin, released between 15 July 2023 and 12 July 2024. In an industry where artists are often encouraged to chase virality or singular hits, the Mercurys is designed to celebrate the importance of an album as a long-playing whole, a feat of artistry which deserves to be recognised in a similar fashion to the Booker Prize for literature or the Turner Prize for art.
However, the overall award isn’t immune to changes in cultural mood. Whilst the winner will be revealed in September as normal, the organisers have yet to name their date, and indicated that the traditional TV ceremony will no longer take place: “This year, other extensive promotional activity will replace the usual live performance event element of the Mercury Prize – details to be announced closer to the time.”
Whilst we wait for those details to solidify, here’s our round-up of those 12 records: why we love them, what you’ve been missing, and how we rate their chances of taking home the big win.
Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?‘
The first of many debut albums on this year’s list, Scottish producer and DJ Barry Can’t Swim has built himself a loyal underground following ever since the release of his 2021 debut EP, growing steadily to three sell-out Brixton Academy dates this coming Autumn. Like 2023 Mercury nominee Fred Again, he prizes a bricolage approach of live instrumentation and nostalgic EDM hooks — if you’re new to his work, album highlight ‘Woman’ (featuring Låpsley) is the perfect intro to his low-key summery sound.
Berwyn – ‘Who Am I‘
2024 offers up the second bite of the Mercury cherry for East Londoner Berwyn, born in Trinidad but moved to the UK at the tender age of nine. The album’s centrepiece, ‘Dear Immigration’, is likely what moved the judges the most — a stark and darkly-humoured spoken-word depiction of life as an undocumented young man. It frames a record of skittering breakbeats, intimate R&B and heart-rending honesty, pushing British rap music in intriguing new directions.
Beth Gibbons – ‘Lives Outgrown‘
Having won it as part of Portishead in 1995, Beth Gibbons may not have expected to be back in Mercurys contention a whole 29 years later. But if Cat Burns is moved to make music about her second decade and Charli XCX her third, Gibbons uses her debut solo album to reflect upon the transitions of her forties and fifties, losing people and finding a new version of herself along the way. Musically speaking, the guitar work feels rootsy and at times a little spooky, handing down nuggets of wisdom and warmth.
Cat Burns – ‘Early Twenties‘
No stranger to being nominated for buzzy industry awards, Cat Burns Early Twenties only came out a couple of weeks ago, but has earned itself an easy place on this list due to the effectiveness of its songwriting — sweet, feel-good and relatable to anybody who has ever felt socially awkward or out of place. Like 2021 Mercury winner Arlo Parks before her, there is a deprecation to Burns’s work that is difficult to deny, splitting the perfect balance between personal expression and chart-friendly accessibility.
Charli XCX – ‘Brat‘
The year’s most mainstream record on the list, nobody could really be mad about a Charli XCX win. We don’t need to tell you what a zeitgeist BRAT summer has become, but outside of all of the TikTok dances, neon green memes and the chin-scratching think-pieces by Americans trying to navigate its new political connotations, this Mercury nomination is a powerful reminder of BRAT’s musical quality – a heart-racing exploration of unflattering thoughts and primal jealousies, the intimacy of a group chat with the maximalism of a sweaty night out. XCX has been nominated before, but the conditions for her win have never seemed more likely.
CMAT – Crazymad, For Me
Flying the flag for Ireland, CMAT is an unapologetic student of the pop game, and the artist most likely to be genuinely thrilled about being part of such an industry celebration. Marking her coming-of-age as a fully-fleshed popstar, ‘Crazymad, For Me’ was a country-inspired triumph, with songwriting that The Forty-Five’s Hannah Mylrea described as going from “wickedly funny to piercing you right to the core in a matter of seconds”. She’s also guaranteed to play sartorial ball: after baring her bum at the BRITs, you can only imagine how fun and fabulous her Mercurys red carpet look is going to be.
Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘Black Rainbows‘
If your knowledge of Corinne Bailey Rae revolves around the unmistakeable noughties bop that is ‘Put Your Records On’, you might be forgiven for being a little bit startled by ‘Black Rainbows’, an expansive punk-jazz-grunge odyssey that draws DNA from her first band, the indie-rock group Helen. Inspired by racial history and artefacts discovered at the Stony Island Arts Bank archive in Chicago, ‘Black Rainbows’ is a creative, imaginative piece of Afro-futurism, drawing comparison to the artistic approaches of Solange, Moses Sumney and Nala Sinephro. Read our Cover Story with Corinne about the release.
Corto Alto – ‘Bad With Names‘
Recorded in his flat in Glasgow over two years, ‘Bad With Names’ is Liam Shortall (aka Corto Alto)’s love letter to his local jazz scene, featuring a host of local friends and players (including 2022 Mercury nominee and jazz pianist, Fergus McCreadie). Whether he’s aiming for the plump swell of a full orchestra or spotlighting his personal training as a trombonist, it’s a record of accomplished cool — the kind of nominee you’re glad to see highlighted a champion of jazz’s new era.
English Teacher – ‘This Could Be Texas‘
We called it way back in April when the album was released, so it’s a personal vindication to see Leeds group English Teacher standing tall on the Mercury list, earning their place with ‘This Could Be Texas‘. Debut guitar albums rarely manage to define their universe so effectively; whether it’s the quirky time signatures of ‘Broken Biscuits’ or the emotional swell of ‘Albert Road’, ET have found a way to cut through the post-punk noise with impeccable northern charm and wit. ‘Not Everybody Gets To Go To Space’, but it would be a real thrill to see them bag their own planet.
Ghetts – ‘On Purpose, With Purpose‘
A venerable veteran of grime, Ghetts last saw a Mercury nomination in 2021 with ‘Conflict of Interest’, which reached an impressive No.2 in the album charts. On fourth album ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’, he’s thrown himself headlong into new forms of collaboration – guest appearances from Sampha, Moonchild Sanelly, Pip Millett, Kano and Muzi to name just a few. Glittering with influences of amapiano, gospel and R&B, this sparring with other artists highlights his softer side, without shying away from life’s tough subjects.
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Prelude To Ecstasy‘
Their inclusion on the 2024 Mercury list may have seemed like a bit of a given, but that shouldn’t take away from just how huge an impact The Last Dinner Party’s ‘Prelude to Ecstasy‘ has had, marking the UK’s biggest first-week sales for a British bands’ debut album in nine years. Tapping into the spirit of rambunctious girlhood that has reigned supreme in the last few years, this collection of songs feels playful and ambitious, capturing their unmistakable prowess as a live unit.
Nia Archives – ‘Silence Is Loud‘
The Mercury still hasn’t quite caught up with hard rock or metal, but it is great to see them celebrate more diverse genres in the form of a nomination for Nia Archives’ ‘Silence Is Loud’. Whether it’s supporting Beyoncé on the Renaissance tour or remixing Fred Again and Jorja Smith, the Bradford-born artist has gone from technicolour strength and strength. Her own debut album is a testament to her hard work, proving that although jungle is massive, it can also be confessional, romantic and sultry all in one.
