Skip to content
News

Mercury Prize Shortlist: The xx, Dizzee Rascal & More

100720-xx-mercury-1.jpg

The shortlist for the 2010 Mercury Prize, the prestigious U.K. music honor, has been announced with nominations going to some of the nation’s hottest exports this year, like the xx, Foals, and Mumford & Sons, as well as more seasoned musicians like Paul Weller and Corinne Bailey Rae. See the full list below!

The Mercury Prize is awarded to the year’s best album by a British or Irish artist, as chosen by a panel of musicians, producers, and media representatives. U.K. oddsmakers William Hill pick Dizzee Rascal and the xx as co-favorites at 4-1 odds. The winner will be named September 7 during a televised ceremony in London.

SPIN’s Mikael Wood called Bailey Rae’s latest release, The Sea, “achingly beautiful.” And we compared her North American tour kick-off in April to a religious experience. Read more here.

SPIN also gave the xx’s debut album high marks, calling it “sweet as novocaine,” and hailed Laura Marling’s I Speak Because I Can as a “mature,” “primal and dark… vision of postadolescent womanhood.”

In addition, London folk band Mumford & Sons played an set at SPIN’s New York City HQ in April — watch their performance here. You can also grab the title track from Irish quintet the Villagers’ Mercury Prize-nominated album Becoming a Jackal for free with SPIN’s August playlist here.

Mercury Prize Shortlist:Biffy Clyro, Only Revolutions
Villagers, Becoming A Jackal
Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea
Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More
Paul Weller, Wake Up The Nation
Wild Beasts, Two Dancers
Kit Downes Trio, Golden
Laura Marling, I Speak Because I Can
Dizzee Rascal, Tongue N’ Cheek
Foals, Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot, Sky At Night
The xx, xx