PJ Harvey remains the favourite to become the first artist to take home the Mercury Music Prize for a second time, with this year’s winner set to be announced at a London ceremony later this evening.
Harvey won her first Mercury Prize back in 2001, for ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea‘, a beautifully crafted, emotionally-tinged album which looked at her love of New York City. This year’s nominee, ‘Let England Shake‘, is another highly charged affair, and has been the bookies favourite since the shortlist was announced a few months back.
According to the latest odds, PJ Harvey is likely to face the stiffest competition from James Blake‘s eponymous LP, while fellow female singer-songwriters Adele and Anna Calvi are also amongst the favourites.
British band Elbow are another act vying for the second win of their career, though they are now considered one of the outside bets after their odds lengthened to 33/1 in recent weeks.
For the first time since its inception in 1992, all this year’s nominees will perform live at the ceremony, which is to be aired on BBC Two from 10pm.
2011 Shortlist:
Anna Calvi – ‘Anna Calvi’
Elbow – ‘Build a Rocket Boys!’
James Blake – ‘James Blake’
Katy B – ‘On a Mission’
Metronomy – ‘The English Riviera’
PJ Harvey – ‘Let England Shake’
Gwilym Simcock – ‘Good Days At Schloss Elmau’
Tinie Tempah – ‘Disc-Overy’
Everything Everything – ‘Man Alive’
Ghostpoet – ‘Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam’
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – ‘Diamond Mines‘
Adele – ’21′