Will Adele Win This Year’s Mercury Prize?

July 19, 2011


This morning, the 2011 Mercury Prize shortlist was unveiled in London. It includes former Mercury Prize winner PJ Harvey, Ghostpoet, teen angel Katy B and recent FADER cover star James Blake. SBTRKT and Gold Panda were snubbed. At a ceremony on September 6th, one winner will take home £20,000 in prize money and a substantial increase in album sales (when Elbow—nominated this year for their album Build a Rocket Boys!—won in 2008, their album The Seldom Seen Kid experienced a 700% sales jump).

Adele's break up/fuck you album 21 was nominated, but it doesn't need the sales bump. 21's already sold almost three million copies in the UK. Another two million discs were moved in America, where 21 also became the best-selling digital album (one million sold) ever. The figures in Australia, Brazil, China and Russia are equally impressive. Does that—plus her impeccable singing, funny jokes and place in the hearts of moms everywhere—make her the obvious winner? Or is the prize still meant for the little(r) guys, or more perturbing albums?

Check out the full list of nominees and get familiar with some of their current work, below.

Adele, 21

Anna Calvi, Anna Calvi

Elbow, Build a Rocket Boys!

Everything Everything, Man Alive

Ghostpoet, Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam

Gwilym Simcock, Good Days at Schloss Elmau

James Blake, James Blake

Katy B, On a Mission

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine

Metronomy, The English Riviera

PJ Harvey, Let England Shake

Tinie Tempah, Disc-Overy

Will Adele Win This Year’s Mercury Prize?