UK’s coveted Mercury Prize shines a spotlight on the year’s best album, according to a rotating cast of judges. While album rollouts in the past few months have been less than conventional due to the pandemic, Mercury Prize judges still hold releases to a high standard. The Mercury Prize announced its 2020 shortlist Thursday, and Charli XCX and Dua Lipa lead the nominations.
Dua Lipa made the shortlist for her disco-adjacent sophomore album Future Nostalgia while Charli XCX was nominated for How I’m Feeling Now, the album she produced in the span of two short months while in quarantine. Both of the singers took to Twitter to share their reactions to receiving a spot on the list.
This year's Shortlisted artists tell us what it means to them to be recognised in the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize Albums of the Year#HyundaiMercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/OvEGzrRTUI
— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) July 23, 2020
"Surreal" plus an actual squeal! @DUALIPA shares her reaction to being included in this year's Shortlist. #HyundaiMercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/QEHgB8m4Is
— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) July 23, 2020
In a statement, the Mercury Prize judges said the 2020 shortlist reflects the diversity and ambition in today’s music: “In these difficult and uncertain times the Hyundai Mercury Prize is proud to celebrate the remarkable power of music to inspire and exhilarate. The albums on the 2020 shortlist showcase a great diversity of sounds, styles, ambitions and experience. What these albums share is an irresistible urgency, a belief that their music matters more than ever.
Find the full Mercury Prize shortlist below.
Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia
Charli XCX — How I’m Feeling Now
Laura Marling — Song For Our Daughter
Stormzy — Heavy Is The Head
Porridge Radio — Every Bad
Sports Team — Deep Down Happy
Kano — Hoodies All Summer
Anna Meredith — FIBS
Georgia — Seeking Thrills
Lanterns On The Lake — Spook The Herd
Moses Boyd — Dark Matter
Michael Kiwanuka — Kiwanuka
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
