Mercury Prize reveals 2025 shortlist

The shortlist for the 2025 Mercury Prize, the award honoring the best British album of the year, has been revealed. As usual, it’s a mix of some of the last 12 months’ most lauded albums, a few commercial hits, some previous nominees and winners, newcomers and veteran acts, and maybe some you’re not familiar with. Here’s the shortlist:

• CMAT – Euro-Country
• Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
• FKA Twigs – Eusexua
• Fontaines D.C. – Romance
• Jacob Alon – In Limerence
• Joe Webb – Hamstrings & Hurricanes
• Martin Carthy – Transform Me Then Into A Fish
• Pa Salieu – Afrikan Alien
• PinkPantheress – Fancy That
• Pulp – More
• Sam Fender – People Watching
• Wolf Alice – The Clearing

Pulp have been nominated three times and won once (in 1996 for Different Class) as have Wolf Alice (won in 2018 for Visions of a Life). CMAT, FKA twigs, Fontaines DC, and Sam Fender have all been nominated once before but haven’t won.

English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas won in 2024.

If you’re wondering, any album by a British or Irish act released between between  July 14, 2024 and August 29, 2025 was eligible.

The 2025 Mercury Prize will be given out the awards show on October 16 at Utilita Arena in Newcastle, UK.