2026 Mercury Prize Judging Team Announced & Tickets on Sale Now
Ahead of the announcement of the 2026 'Albums of the Year' this Thursday, the 2026 Mercury Prize judging team has today been revealed. Following its biggest year yet in 2025, the Mercury Prize will return 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.
Tickets for the 2026 Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year' in Newcastle are available to the general public now HERE.
The Awards Show will feature live performances from many of the 12 shortlisted artists and the evening will culminate in the announcement of the overall winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize in Newcastle. The Prize’s broadcast partner, BBC Music, will provide coverage of the event.
The Mercury Prize 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ will be announced exclusively live on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds from 10.30am this Thursday 30th July.
Each year, the shortlist 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.
Also announced today is the return of Radio 1 presenter and DJ Maia Beth, who will be hosting exclusive artist interviews with those featuring on the ‘Albums of the Year’ shortlist for Mercury Prize social channels, and will also be hosting red carpet coverage of the Awards Show in Newcastle.
Maia Beth says: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be back working with the Mercury Prize this year! Last year's Mercury Prize was a celebration of music - from jazz to pop and everything in between. Having it in Newcastle brought attention to a place I’m so proud of, and I can’t wait to be back celebrating the best music in the best place.”
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 winners include English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Dave, Wolf Alice, Young Fathers, and more.
