Announced on Tuesday 26 July, the 2022 Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ shortlist features genres ranging from “pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock”, and artists from Harry Styles to Yard Act.
The Mercury Prize was established in 1992 to celebrate the best of British and Irish music across a range of contemporary music genres. Open to artists at every level of their careers, the prestigious award’s £25,000 cash prize can also give newbies the chance to fund a tour or launch a new record. The 2022 Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
Fergus McCreadie: ‘Forest Floor’
Gwenno: ‘Tresor’
Harry Styles: ‘Harry’s House’
Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler: ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
Joy Crookes: ‘Skin’
Kojey Radical: ‘Reason to Smile’
Little Simz: ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Nova Twins: ‘Supernova’
Sam Fender: ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem: ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wet Leg: ‘Wet Leg’
Yard Act: ‘The Overload’
Sometimes described as ‘the musician's award’, the shortlist is chosen by an independent judging panel of musical professionals every year. The 2022 Mercury Prize judges are: musician and songwriter Anna Calvi; broadcaster and DJ Annie MacManus; broadcaster and writer Danielle Perry; musician and songwriter Hazel Wilde (from Lanterns on the Lake); musician and broadcaster Jamie Cullum; broadcaster and DJ Jamz Supernova; the head of music at 6 Music and Radio 2, Jeff Smith; the music programmer for Radio X, Lea Stonhill; musician and songwriter Loyle Carner; a contributing editor at Mojo, Phil Alexander; music writer and author Tshepo Mokoena; and finally chief rock and pop critic at The Times Will Hodgkinson. The chair of the judging panel is Jeff Smith.
The winner is to be revealed at the 2022 Awards Show – alongside live performances from many of the shortlisted artists – on Thursday 8th September at the Eventim Apollo. In a statement about the chosen albums, the judges said, “Getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from. That serves as proof that British and Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history, with the albums chosen covering everything from imaginative pop to pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock. We feel that these 12 amazing albums each have something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways. Now comes the really hard part... choosing only one overall winner”.
Written by Elizabeth Baker