The Mercury Prize 2024 shortlist is out, featuring Charli xcx, The Last Dinner Party, CMAT, English Teacher and more

The 2024 Mercury Prize shortlist has been announced, featuring 12 albums from across the UK and Irish music scene. 

In the electronic sphere, Barry Can’t Swim’s ‘When Will We Land?’ blends deep house, jazz, and ambient sounds, while Nia Archives’ debut ‘Silence Is Loud’ fuses jungle rhythms with elements of indie-rock and neo-soul. 

Pop is well-represented, with Charli xcx’s ‘BRAT’ offering a bold, hyperkinetic sound, and Cat Burns’ ‘early twenties’ delivering candid, coming-of-age storytelling.

Recent Dork cover stars, CMAT’s ‘Crazymad, for Me’ and The Last Dinner Party’s ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ both bring theatrical elements to and humour, their nominations arriving on the back of breakthrough records.

The shortlist also showcases BERWYN’s ‘Who Am I’ and Ghetts’ ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’, which demonstrate powerful lyricism, while Corinne Bailey Rae’s ‘Black Rainbows’ marks a significant evolution in her sound.

Beth Gibbons’ ‘Lives Outgrown’ provides intimate reflections on life experiences, while – more recent Dork cover stars – English Teacher’s ‘This Could Be Texas’ marks one of the standout debut albums of 2024.

Jazz collective corto.alto’s ‘Bad with Names’ rounds out the list with its innovative fusion of jazz, funk, and hip-hop.

The winner, to be revealed in September, will receive £25,000 and significant media exposure. Recent winners include Ezra Collective (2023), Little Simz (2022), and Arlo Parks (2021).

The judging panel includes a mix of broadcasters, musicians, and industry experts, with albums released between 15th July 2023 and 12th July 2024 by British or Irish artists eligible for consideration.

The complete shortlist reads:

 Barry Can’t Swim – ‘When Will We Land?’
BERWYN – ‘Who Am I’
Beth Gibbons – ‘Lives Outgrown’
Cat Burns – ‘early twenties’
Charli XCX – ‘BRAT’
CMAT – ‘Crazymad, for Me’
Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘Black Rainbows’
corto.alto – ‘Bad with Names’
English Teacher – ‘This Could Be Texas’
Ghetts – ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’
Nia Archives – ‘Silence Is Loud’
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’