2026 Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ Revealed
The 2026 Mercury Prize 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ were announced today, Thursday 30th July, on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds by Jamz Supernova.
The 2026 Mercury Prize 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
Dave - ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp’
Dove Ellis - ‘Blizzard’
Florence + The Machine - ‘Everybody Scream’
JADE - ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!’
Knats - ‘A Great Day In Newcastle’
Kojey Radical - ‘Don't Look Down’
Nia Archives - ‘Emotional Junglist’
Olivia Dean - ‘The Art of Loving’
Paul McCartney - ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’
RAYE - ‘THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.’
Suede - ‘Antidepressants’
War Child Records - ‘HELP(2)’
Following its biggest year yet in 2025, the Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle as the host city for 2026, in partnership with Newcastle City Council. The 2026 Awards Show will be held on Thursday 22nd October at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle and will feature live performances from many of the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ artists, culminating in the announcement of the overall winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize. The Prize’s broadcast partner, BBC Music, will provide coverage of the event. Tickets for the 2026 Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year' in Newcastle are available now HERE.
The Mercury Prize recognises the best new British & Irish music, celebrating artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres. As an independent arts prize, it champions the album format, acts as a snapshot of the year in music and often provides a major platform for up-and-coming artists and their musical work. The Prize has been an important milestone in past winners’ journeys, acting as a stepping stone to wider success in the UK and Ireland as well as internationally. Last year saw Geordie hero Sam Fender claim the Prize, and other recent past recipients across a number of genres include English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Dave, Arlo Parks, Wolf Alice, Young Fathers and more.
Each year, the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ list is curated by an independent judging team of music industry professionals who are eternally passionate about spotlighting artistic achievement across a range of genres. The 2026 Mercury Prize judging team is: AFRODEUTSCHE - Composer, DJ & Radio 3 Unwind & 6 Music Broadcaster; Danielle Perry - Broadcaster (Absolute Radio & Jazz FM) & Musician; Jamie Cullum - Musician & Radio 2 Broadcaster; Jeff Smith - Head of Music, Radio 2 & 6 Music; Lea Stonhill – Music Programming Consultant; MistaJam – Songwriter, DJ & Broadcaster; Phil Alexander – Creative Director, Kerrang!/Contributing Editor, MOJO; Sian Eleri – Radio 1 Broadcaster & DJ; Sophie Williams – Music Writer & Broadcaster; Will Hodgkinson - Chief Rock & Pop Critic, The Times. The Chair of the judging team is Jeff Smith.
An exciting array of partner activity was also announced today, including the return of LNER (London North Eastern Railway) as the Official Travel Partner of the Mercury Prize. LNER will carry many of the ‘Albums of the Year’ artists and the judging team to the 2026 Awards Show in October as the brand continues to champion the unique connection that travel has with music and culture. Also returning is Newcastle’s flagship department store, Fenwick, which will showcase the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ in its store's Blackett Street window, host live music events and creative workshops during the Mercury Prize Fringe and feature an official Mercury Prize pop-up offering exclusive artist merchandise. New partners this year include British chauffeur house Bell & Shanks as taxi and chauffeur partner, and Freight Island; Newcastle’s newest food, drink and music destination, which brings together world-class food, drinks for days and a line-up of regional, national and international artists as the Official Mercury Prize After-Party Partner.
Image: Knats
