Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize is awarded every year to the best British album. The prize is awarded on merit instead of sales or popularity. The winner is decided by a panel of figures from within the British music industry. For an act to qualify, at least half of its members must come from the British Isles.
1992
WINNER: Primal Scream - Screamadelica [Scotland, Alternative Dance - Indie]
Barry Adamson - Soul Murder [England, Jazz]
Bheki Mseleku - Celebration [South Africa, Jazz]
Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart - Rising Above Bedlam [England, World Music]
John Taverner & Steven Isserlis - The Protecting Veil [England, Classical]
Saint Etienne - Foxbase Alpha [England, Alternative Dance]
Simply Red - Stars [England, Pop - Blue-Eyed Soul]
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Honey's Dead [Scotland, Indie]
U2 - Achtung Baby [Ireland, Rock]
Young Disciples - Road to Freedom [England, Acid Jazz - Street Soul]
1993
WINNER: Suede - Suede [England, Indie - Britpop]
Apache Indian - No Reservations [England, Ragga]
The Auteurs - New Wave [England, Britpop - Indie]
Dina Carroll - So Close [England, R&B - Dance]
Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet [England, Jazz - Classical]
New Order - Republic [England, Alternative Dance - Indie]
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me [England, Indie Rock]
Stereo MC's - Connected [England, Acid Jazz - Trip Hop]
Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales [England, Pop Rock, Soft Rock]
Stan Tracey - Portrait Plus [England, Jazz]
1994
WINNER: M People - Elegant Slumming [England, Dance - House]
Blur - Parklife [England, Britpop]
Ian McNabb - Head Like A Rock [England, Folk Rock - Alternative Rock]
Michael Nyman - The Piano Concerto / MGV [England, Classical]
Paul Weller - Wild Wood [England, Pop Rock - Singer Songwriter]
Pulp - His 'n' Hers [England, Britpop]
Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows [England, Soul - Downtempo]
Take That - Everything Changes [England, Pop]
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation [England, Big Beat]
Therapy? - Troublegum [Northern Ireland, Alternative Metal - Alternative Rock]
1995
WINNER: Portishead - Dummy [England, Trip Hop]
Elastica - Elastica [England, Britpop]
Guy Barker - Into the Blue [England, Jazz]
James MacMillan - Seven Last Words from the Cross [England, Classical]
Leftfield - Leftism [England, Progressive House]
Oasis - Definitely Maybe [England - Britpop]
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love [England, Indie Rock]
Supergrass - I Should Coco [England, Britpop]
Tricky - Maxinquaye [England, Trip Hop]
Van Morrison - Days Like These [Northern Ireland, Folk Rock]
1996
WINNER: Pulp - Different Class [England, Britpop]
Artists for War Child - Help [England, Charity Album]
BBC Philharmonic - The Beltane Fire [England, Classical]
Black Grape - It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah [England, Alternative Dance - Indie]
Courtney Pine - Modern Day Jazz Stories [England, Jazz]
Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go [Wales, Hard Rock]
Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack [England, R&B]
Norma Waterson - Norma Waterson [English, Folk]
Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory? [England, Britpop]
Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants [England, Techno]
1997
WINNER: Roni Size & Reprazent - New Forms [England, Drum & Bass]
Beth Orton - Trailer Park [England, Trip Hop - Folk]
John Taverner - Svyati [English, Classical]
Mark Anthony-Turnage - Your Rockaby [English, Classical]
Primal Scream - Vanishing Point [Scotland, Hard Rock]
Radiohead - OK Computer [England, Indie Rock]
Spice Girls - Spice [England, Pop]
Suede - Coming Up [England, Britpop]
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole [England, Big Beat]
The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land [England, Big Beat]
1998
WINNER: Gomez - Bring It On [England, Indie Rock]
4hero - Two Pages [England, Dance - Breakbeat]
Asian Dub Foundatin - Rafi's Revenge [England, Dub]
Catatonia - International Velvet [Wales, Britpop]
Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time [England, Indietronica]
Eliza Carthy - Red Rice [England, Folk]
John Surman - Proverbs and Songs [England, Jazz]
Massive Attack - Mezzanine [England, Trip Hop]
Propellerheads - decksanddrumsandrockandroll [England, Big Beat]
Pulp - This Is Hardcore [England, Britpop]
Robbie Williams - Life thru a Lens [England, Pop]
The Verve - Urban Hymns [England, Britpop]
1999
WINNER: Talvin Singh - OK [England, Atmospheric Drum & Bass, Downtempo]
Beth Orton - Central Reservation [England, Folk, Indietronica]
Black Star Liner - Bengali Bantam Youth Experience [England - Dub]
Blur - 13 [England, Britpop]
Denys Baptiste - Be Where You Are [English, Jazz]
Faithless - Sunday 8pm [England, Downtempo]
Kate Rusby - Sleepless [England, Folk]
Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours [Wales, Hard Rock]
Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails [Wales, Britpop]
The Chemical Brothers - Surrender [England, Big Beat]
Thomas Ades - Asyla [English, Classical]
Underworld - Beaucoup Fish [England, Trance]
2000
WINNER: Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of the Bewilderbeast [England, Indie Rock]
Coldplay - Parachutes [England, Soft Rock]
Death in Vegas - The Contino Sessions [England, Neo-Psychedelia]
Doves - Lost Souls [England, Indie Rock]
Helicopter Girl - How to Steal the World [Scotland, Trip Hop]
Kathryn Williams - Little Black Skin [England, Folk]
Leftfield - Rhythm & Stealth [England, Breakbeat]
MJ Cole - Sincere [England, Garage]
Nicholas Maw - Violin Concerto [England, Classical]
Nitin Sawhney - Beyond the Skin [England, Downtempo]
Richard Ashcroft - Alone with Everybody [England, Britpop]
The Delgados - The Great Eastern [Scotland, Indie Rock]
2001
WINNER: PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea [England, Indie Rock]
Basement Jaxx - Rooty [England, Funky House]
Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters [England, Singer-Songwriter - Chamber Pop]
Elbow -Asleep in the Back [England, Indie Rock]
Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain [England, Downtempo]
Gorillaz - Gorillaz [England, Trip Hop]
Radiohead - Amnesiac [England, Art Rock]
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World [Wales, Neo-Psychedelia]
Susheela Raman - Salt Rain [England, Indian Pop]
Tom McRae - Tom McRae [England, Singer-Songwriter]
Turin Breaks - The Optimist [England, Folk Rock]
Zero 7 - Simple Things [Downtempo]
2002
WINNER: Ms. Dynamite - A Little Deeper [England, Pop Rap]
Beverley Knight - Who I Am [England, R&B]
David Bowie - Heathen [England, Art Rock]
Doves - The Last Broadcast [England, Indie Rock]
Gemma Hayes - Night on My Side [Ireland, Folk Rock]
Guy Barker - Soundtrack [England, Jazz]
Joanna McGregor - Play [England, Classical]
Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me [England, Hip Hop]
The Bees - Sunshine Hits Me [England, Indie Rock]
The Coral - The Coral [England, Indie Rock]
The Electric Soft Parade - Holes in the Wall [England, Indie Rock]
The Streets - Original Pirate Material [England, Pop Rap]
2003
WINNER: Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner [England, Grime]
Athlete - Vehicles and Animals [England, Indie Rock]
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head [England, Soft Rock]
Eliza Carthy - Anglicana [England, Folk]
Floetry - Floetic [England, R&B]
Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons [England, Downtempo]
Martina Topley-Bird - Quixotic [England, Trip Hop]
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief [England, Art Rock]
Soweto Kinch - Conversations with the Unseen [England, Jazz]
Terri Walker - Untitled [England, R&B]
The Darkness - Position to Land [England, Glam Rock]
The Thrills - So Much for the City [Ireland, Indie Rock]
2004
WINNER: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand [Scotland, Indie Rock]
Amy Winehouse - Frank [England, Singer-Songwriter]
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash [England, Funky House]
Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress [Scotland, Twee Pop]
Jamelia - Thank You [England, R&B]
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions [England, Blue-Eyed Soul]
Keane - Hopes and Fears [England, Indie Rock]
Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland [England, Jazz Rock]
Snow Patrol - Final Straw [Scotland, Pop Rock]
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free [England, Pop Rap]
The Zutons - Who Killed the Zutons [England, Indie Rock]
Ty - Upwards [England, Hip Hop]
2005
WINNER: Anonhi and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now [England, Chamber Pop]
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm [England, Post-Punk]
Coldplay - X&Y [England, Soft Rock]
Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV [England, Indie Rock]
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment [England, Indie Rock]
KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope [Scotland, Pop Rock]
M.I.A. - Arular [England, World Music]
Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger [England, Indie Rock]
Polar Bear - Held on the Tips of Fingers [England, Jazz]
Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay [England, Folk]
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning Strike - [England, Indie Rock]
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers [England, Pop Rock]
2006
WINNER: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not [England, Garage Rock]
Editors - The Back Room [England, Post-Punk]
Guillemots - Through the Windowpane [England, Indie Rock
Hot Chip - The Warning [England, Synthpop]
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas [Scotland, Folk Rock]
Lou Rhodes - Beloved One [England, Folk]
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations [England, Indie Rock]
Richard Hawley - Coles Corner [England, Chamber Pop]
Scritti-Politti - White Bread Black Beer [England, Art Pop]
Sway - This Is My Demo [England, Hip Hop]
Thom Yorke - Eraser [England, Indietronica]
Zoe Rahman - Melting Pot [England, Jazz]
2007
WINNER: The Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future [England, Dance Punk]
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black [England, Singer-Songwriter]
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare [England, Garage Rock]
Basquiat Strings - Basquiat Strings [England, Jazz]
Bat for Lashes - Fur and Gold [England, Art Pop]
Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English [England, Grime]
Fionn Regan - The End of History [Ireland, Folk]
Jamie T - Panic Preservation [England, Indie Rock]
Maps - We Can Create [England, Dream Pop]
New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom [England, Dance Punk]
The View - Hats Off to the Buskers [Scotland, Indie Rock]
Young Knives - Voices of Animals and Men [England, Post-Punk]
2008
WINNER: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid [England, Indie Rock]
Adele - 19 [England, Blue-Eyed Soul]
Burial - Untrue [England, Dubstep]
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? [England, Post-Punk]
Estelle - Shine [England, R&B]
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim [England, Folk Pop]
Neon Neon - Stainless Style [Wales, Synthpop]
Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep in the North Sea [England, Jazz]
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns [England, Folk]
Radiohead - In Rainbows [England, Art Rock]
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand [England, Americana]
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement [England, Pop Rock]
2009
WINNER: Speech Debelle - Speach Therapy [England, Hip Hop]
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns [England, Art Pop]
Florence and the Machine - Lungs [England, Baroque Pop]
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires [England, Indie Rock - Alternative Dance]
Glasvegas - Glasvegas [Scotland, Indie Rock]
Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum [England, Indie Rock]
La Roux - La Roux [England, Synthpop]
Led Bib - Sensible Shoes [England, Jazz]
Lisa Hannigan - See Sew [Ireland, Folk]
Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Men [England, Folk]
The Horrors - Primary Colours [England, Post-Punk]
The Invisible - The Invisible [England, Art Rock]
2010
WINNER: The xx - xx [England, Dream Pop]
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea [England, Soul]
Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions [Scotland, Alternative Rock]
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue 'n' Cheek [England, Grime]
Foals - Total Life Forever [England, Indie Rock]
I Am Kloot - Indie Rock [England, Indie Rock]
Kit Downes Trio - Golden [England, Jazz]
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can [England, Folk Pop]
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More [England, Folk Rock]
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal [Ireland, Folk Rock]
2011
WINNER: PJ Harvey - This Is England [England, Folk Rock]
Adele - 21 [England, Blue-Eyed Soul]
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi [England, Art Rock]
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys! [England, Indie Rock]
Everything Everything - Man Alive [England, Art Rock]
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam [England, Future Garage]
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau [Wales, Jazz]
James Blake - James Blake [England, Art Pop]
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine [Scotland, Folk, Folktronica]
Katy B - On A Mission [England, Dance Pop]
Metronomy - The English Riviera [England, Indietronica]
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy [England, Pop Rap]
2012
WINNER: alt-J - An Awesome Wave [England, Art Rock]
Ben Howard - Every Kingdom [England, Folk]
Django Django - Django Django [England, Art Rock]
Field Music - Plumb [England, Art Pop]
Jessie Ware - Devotion [England, Art Pop]
Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough? [England, Soul]
Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again [England, Soul]
Plan B - Ill Manors [England, Pop Soul]
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge [England, Neo-Psychedelia]
Roller Trio - Roller Trio [England, Jazz]
Sam Lee - Ground of its Own [England, Folk]
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild [England, Post-Punk]
2013
WINNER: James Blake - Overgrown [England, Art Pop]
Arctic Monkeys - AM [England, Garage Rock]
David Bowie - The Next Day [England, Art Rock]
Disclosure - Settle [England, House]
Foals - Holy Fire [England, Post-Punk]
Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg [England, Indie Folk]
Jon Hopkins - Immunity [England, Ambient IDM]
Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle [England, Folk Pop]
Laura Mvula - Sing to the Moon [England, Soul]
Rudimental - Home [England, Drum & Bass]
Savages - Silence Yourself [England, Post Punk]
Villagers - Awayland [Ireland, Indie Folk]
2014
WINNER: Young Fathers - Dead [Scotland, Art Rock]
Anna Calvi - One Breath [England, Indie Rock]
Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow [England, Indietronica]
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots [England, Indie Folk]
East India Youth - Total Strife Forever [England, Indietronica]
FKA Twigs - LP1 [England, Art Pop]
GoGo Penguin - V2.0 [England, Jazz]
Jungle - Jungle [England, Nu-Disco]
Kae Tempest - Everybody Down [England, Slam Poetry]
Nick Mulvey - First Mind [England, Indie Folk]
Polar Bear - In Each and Every One [England, Jazz]
Royal Blood - Royal Blood [England, Hard Rock]
2015
WINNER: Benjamin Clementine - At Least for Now [England, Art Pop]
Aphex Twin - Syro [Ireland, IDM]
C Duncan - Architect [Scotland, Classical]
Florence & the Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful [England, Art Rock]
Gaz Coombes - Matador [England, Indie Rock]
Ghostpoet - Shedding Skin [England, Future Garage]
Jamie xx - In Colour {England, Future Garage]
Roisin Murphy - Hairless Toys [Ireland, House]
Slaves - Are You Satisfied? [England, Punk]
Soak - Before We Forgot How to Dream [Northern Ireland, Singer-Songwriter]
Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool [England, Alternative Rock]
2016
WINNER: Skepta - Konnichiwa [England, Grime]
Anonhi - Hopelessness [England, Synthpop]
Bat for Lashes - The Bride [England, Art Pop]
David Bowie - Blackstar [England, Art Rock]
Jamie Woon - Making Time [England, Alternative R&B]
Kano - Made in the Manor [England, Grime]
Laura Mvula - The Dreaming Room [England, Soul]
Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate [England, Soul]
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool [England, Art Rock]
The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It [England, New Wave]
Savages - Adore Life [England, Post Punk]
The Comet is Coming - Channel the Spirits [England, Jazz]
2017
WINNER: Sampha - Process [England, Alternative R&B]
alt-J - Relaxer [Engand, Art Rock]
Blossoms - Blossoms [England, Indie Rock]
Dinosaur - Together As One [England, Jazz]
Ed Sheeran - Divide [England, Soul]
Glass Animals - How to Be a Human Being [England, Indietronica]
J Hus - Common Sense [England, Pop Rap]
Kae Tempest - Let Them East Chaos [England, Slam Poetry]
Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone [England, Pop Rap]
Stormzy - Gang Signs and Prayer [England, Grime]
The Big Moon - Love in the 4th Dimension [England, Indie Rock]
The xx - I See You [England, Dream Pop]
2018
WINNER: Wolf Alice - Visions of a Life [England, Alternative Rock]
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino [England, Garage Rock]
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream [England, Art Rock]
Everything Is Recorded - Everything Is Recorded [England, Downtempo]
Florence & the Machine - High As Hope [England, Art Rock]
Jorja Smith - Lost & Found [England, R&B]
King Krule - The Ooz - [England, Art Rock]
Lily Allen - No Shame [England, Pop]
Nadine Shah - Holiday Destination [England, Art Rock]
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Who Built the Moon [England, Indie Rock]
Novelist - Novelist Guy [England, Grime]
Sons of Kemet - Your Queen Is a Reptile [England, Jazz]
2019
WINNER: Dave - Psychodrama [England, Pop Rap]
Anna Calvi - Hunter [England, Indie Rock]
Black Midi - Schlagenheim [England, Noise Rock]
Cate Le Bon - Reward [Wales, Art Pop]
Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 [England, Post-Punk]
Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel [Ireland, Post-Punk]
Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance [England, Post-Punk]
Little Simz - Grey Area [England, Hip Hop]
Nao - Saturn [England, R&B]
Seed Ensemble - Driftglass [England, Jazz]
slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain [England, Grime]
The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships [England, New Wave]
2020
WINNER: Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka [England, Soul]
Anna Meredith - Fibs [Scotland, Electronica]
Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now [England, Hyperpop]
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia [England, Pop]
Georgia - Seeking Thrills [England, Synthpop]
Kano - Hoodies All Summer [England, Pop Rap]
Lanterns on the Lake - Spook the Herd [Engliand, Indie Rock]
Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter [England, Folk Pop]
Moses Boyd - Dark Matter [England, Jazz]
Porridge Radio - Every Bad [England, Post-Punk]
Sports Team - Deep Down Happy [England, Alternative Rock]
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head [England, Grime]
2021
WINNER: Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams [England, Bedroom Pop]
Berwyn - Demotape/Vega [England, Alternative R&B]
Black Country, New Road – For the First Time [England, Art Rock]
Celeste - Not Your Muse [England, Soul]
Ghetts - Conflict of Interest [England, Grime]
Hannah Peel - Fir Wave [Ireland, Synthpop]
Laura Mvula - Pink Noise [England, R&B]
Mogwai – As the Love Continues [Scotland, Post-Rock]
Nubya Garcia - Source [England, Jazz]
Pharoah Sanders - Promises [England, Jazz]
Sault - Untitled (Rise) [England, Soul]
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend [England, Art Rock]
2022
WINNER: Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert [England, Hip Hop]
Fergus McCreadie - Forest Floor [Scotland, Jazz]
Gwenno - Traser [Wales, Baroque Pop]
Harry Styles - Harry's House [England, Synthwave]
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler - For All Our Days That Tear the Heart [Ireland, Folk Pop]
Joy Crookes - Skin [England, Soul]
Kojey Radical - Reason to Smile [England, Alternative R&B]
Nova Twins - Supernova [England, Punk]
Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under [England, Heartland Rock]
Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure [England, Art Pop]
Wet Leg - Wet Leg [England, Indie Pop]
Yard Act - The Overload [England, Post-Punk]
2023
WINNER: Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be [England, Jazz]
Arctic Monkeys - The Car [England, Garage Rock]
Fred Again - Actual Life 3 [England, Dance]
J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard [England, Pop Rap]
Jessie Ware - That! Feels! Good! [England, Nu-Disco]
Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B [England, Art Pop]
Lankum - False Lankum [Ireland, Folk]
Loyle Carner - Hugo [England, Pop Rap]
Olivia Dean - Messy [England, Neo-Soul]
Raye - My 21st Century Blues [England, R&B]
Shygirl - Nymph [England, Hyperpop]
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy [Scotland, Art Rock]
2024
WINNER: English Teacher - This Could Be Texas [England, Indie Rock]
Barry Can't Swim - When Will We Land? [England, Garage Rock]
Berwyn - Who Am I [England, Conscious Hip Hop]
Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown [England, Chamber Folk]
Cat Burns - Early Twenties [England, Singer-Songwriter]
Charli XCX - Brat [England, Electropop]
CMAT - Crazy Mad For Me [Ireland, Country Pop]
Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows [England, R&B]
corto.alto - Bad With Names [Scotland, Jazz]
Ghetts - On Purpose, with Purpose [England, Grime]
Nia Archives - Silence Is Loud [England, Jungle]
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstacy [England, Indie Rock]
