The UK’s Mercury Music Prize shortlist has been nominated, with The XX and Dizzee Rascal currently the bookie’s favourites to win. Laura Marling will fight it out with her boyfriend Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, while Wild Beasts, Foals and Paul Weller are also shortlisted. The prize is announced at a ceremony in London on September 7th, but many of the artists nominated may not be too bothered if they don’t get the gong. Winning the prize has usually been the kiss of death for an artist’s career, until Elbow took out the prize in 2008.
The full list runs:
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek (4/1)
The xx – xx (4/1)
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation (6/1)
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea (6/1)
Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More (6/1)
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can (6/1)
Foals – Total Life Forever (8/1)
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (8/1)
Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions (8/1)
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal (10/1)
Kit Downes Trio – Golden (10/1)
I Am Kloot – Sky at Night (10/1)
