The winner of the Mercury Prize will be announced on The One Show on Thursday, with Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Stormzy all battling it out for the coveted award.
For the first time ever, Radio 1’s Annie Mac will reveal which artist has been recognised as creating the best British or Irish album of the year on the BBC programme.
The award ceremony is usually a glamorous affair hosted by Hyundai in London, but due to coronavirus, Annie, 42, will deliver the judges’ verdict live on air instead.
Female-dominated: The winner of the Mercury Prize will be announced on The One Show on Thursday, with Charli XCX (left) and Dua Lipa (right) battling it out for the coveted award
The Hyundai Mercury Prize Album Of The Year celebrates the best of British and Irish music and recognises the achievement of artists across musical genres.
Also up for the prize is Laura Marling – who has previously been shortlisted in 2008, 2010 and 2013 – with her acclaimed LP Song For Our Daughter.
Rockers Sports Team’s debut album Deep Down Happy has also received the nod, and they’ve been celebrating ever since they found out.
Tough competition: Stomzy is also nominated for The Hyundai Mercury Prize Album Of The Year celebrates the best of British and Irish music across musical genres
Exciting: For the first time ever, Radio 1’s Annie Mac will reveal which artist has been recognised as creating the best British or Irish album of the year on the BBC programme
Also up for the prize is Laura Marling – who has previously been shortlisted in 2008, 2010 and 2013 – with her acclaimed LP Song For Our Daughter (pictured 2017)
Rapper Kano’s powerful LP Hoodies All Summer, Anna Meredith’s FIBS, Georgia’s Seeking Thrills, Lanterns On The Lake’s Spook The Herd and Moses Boyd’s Dark Matter will also go head-to-head.
Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled LP Kiwanuka rounds off the 12 albums selected by a panel of artists and music industry professionals, including Anna Calvi, Annie Mac, Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes, Jamie Cullum and Jorja Smith.
The 2019 Mercury Prize went to Dave for his acclaimed debut LP Psychodrama.
The rapper beat off stiff competition from The 1975, IDLES, black midi, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Little Simz, NAO, Anna Calvi, Cate Le Bon, SEED Ensemble, and slowthai.
Exciting: Rapper Kano’s powerful LP Hoodies All Summer (pictured), Anna Meredith’s FIBS, Georgia’s Seeking Thrills are also nominated
Great selection: Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled LP Kiwanuka rounds off the 12 albums selected by a panel of artists and music industry professionals
Delighted: Dua admitted the honour feels ‘surreal’ because she didn’t think she was ‘cool enough’ for the nod for Future Nostalgia (pictured)
Up for the prize: Stormzy’s album Heavy is the Head has also been given a nod in the category
Charli XCX gave fans the thumbs up on Wednesday morning as she prepared for her imminent performance at the 2020 Hyandai Mercury Prize Albums Of The Year.
The singer, 27, will take place virtually in accordance with current safety measures, following the release of lockdown album How I’m Feeling Now in May.
And she was looking ahead to putting on a show after taking to Instagram with a cheerful selfie that appeared to be taken as she readied herself at home in Los Angeles.
Captioning the image, she wrote: ‘performing at the #hyundaimercuryprize 2020 on bbc four tonight at 10pm BST. sick.’
The singer won critical and commercial acclaim following the release of How I’m Feeling Now, an album inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and written and recorded during a creatively frenetic six-week period.
Upbeat: Charli XCX gave fans the thumbs up on Wednesday morning as she prepared for her imminent performance at the ceremony
Gushing: Charli admitted she feels ‘honoured to have her ‘little corner of experimental pop recognised’ for how i’m feeling now (pictured)