Early bookies favourites Alt-J lead the 2012 Mercury Music Prize shortlist which was unveiled in London today (September 12th).
The Cambridge quartet’s critically lauded debut album ‘An Awesome Wave‘ has been odds-on to win the prestigious prize during recent months, and has now duly landed a nomination along with various other hotly-tipped records from the likes of The Maccabees, Richard Hawley and Django Django.
Last year, PJ Harvey became the first artist to win the award on two separate occasions since its inception in 1993 after the 2011 record ‘Let England Shake‘ followed up her previous victory ten years earlier when ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea‘ came out on top.
The 2012 winner will be confirmed at a London ceremony in November.
Mercury Music Prize 2012 shortlist:
Alt-J – ‘An Awesome Wave’
Ben Howard – ‘Every Kingdom’
Django Django – ‘Django Django’
Field Music – ‘Plum’
Jessie Ware – ‘Devotion’
Lianne La Havas – ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’
The Maccabees – ‘Given To The Wild’
Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Home Again
Plan B – ‘Ill Manors’
Richard Hawley – ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’
Roller Trio – ‘Roller Trio’
Sam Lee – ‘Ground Of Its Own’