Harry Styles, Little Simz, Sam Fender, Wet Leg, Lead Shortlist For The 2022 Mercury Prize

The nominees for the 2022 Mercury prize for music have been announced.  Notable releases from Harry Styles, Little Simz, Sam Fender and Wet Leg are among the nominees for the prestigious prize, which is awarded to the best British and Irish albums of the year.

The shortlist for the 2022 prize is full of first-time nominees, with Little Simz the only artist to have received a nomination previously (her third album Grey Area was nominated for the prize in 2019.  The full shortlist for the 2022 prize, which will be awarded at an awards ceremony in Hammersmith in September, can be seen below. 

2022 Mercury Prize Shortlist 

Fergus McCreadie: Forest Floor

Gwenno: Tresor

Harry Styles: Harry’s House

Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler: For All Our Days That Tear the Heart

Joy Crookes: Skin

Kojey Radical: Reason to Smile

Little Simz: Sometimes I Might be Introvert

Nova Twins: Supernova

Sam Fender: Seventeen Going Under

Self Esteem: Prioritise Pleasure

Wet Leg: Wet Leg

Yard Act: The Overload

A panel of British artists, industry professionals and music critics will vote on the award, with Anna Calvi, Hazel Wilde, Jamie Cullum and Loyle Carner among those tasked with deciding the 2022 Mercury prize winner. 

The judges shared the following statement when announcing the shortlist  "Getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from. That serves as proof that British & Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history, with the albums chosen covering everything from imaginative pop to pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock. We feel that these 12 amazing albums each have something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways. Now comes the really hard part... choosing only one overall winner’.  

Splendour In The Grass performers Wet Leg, took to Twitter to share their delight at being nominated saying

"We’re so freakin lucky that we got to make the album that we made. These past couple of years have been full of surprises and unexpected adventures. Here’s perhaps one of our fave surprises so far…Our debut album has been shortlisted for a @MercuryPrize!?"

We’re so freakin lucky that we got to make the album that we made. These past couple of years have been full of surprises and unexpected adventures. Here’s perhaps one of our fave surprises so far…Our debut album has been shortlisted for a @MercuryPrize!?😮‍💨🥵🤯🫠😭 #mercuryprize pic.twitter.com/3ZIPPS9Gv9

— Wet Leg (@wetlegband) July 26, 2022

Sam Fender also shared his delight at being nominated stating "So chuffed that SGU has been shortlisted for a @MercuryPrize! It’s a super personal record for me and the boys and for it to be recognised in this way is a real honour."

So chuffed that SGU has been shortlisted for a @MercuryPrize ! It’s a super personal record for me and the boys and for it to be recognised in this way is a real honour. #MercuryPrize 🤯🙏 pic.twitter.com/MlBZaA5Ghy

— Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) July 26, 2022

While being nominated for the Mercury music prize is clearly an honour for all of these artists, winning it could provide a boost of a more tangible nature, with the winner set to “receive a specially commissioned ‘Album Of The Year’ trophy, with the overall winner also receiving a winner trophy and a cash prize of £25,000".

Yard Act who are nominated this year for The Overload believes the prize should be headed Little Simz way, using Twitter to share as such, with a side of their trademark humour. 

"We fully don't expect to win, because the prize should only go to @LittleSimz but if for it doesn’t I dread to think how fat the stack was that Island Records had wired into all the judge's offshore bank accounts. I don't ever want to know."

We fully don't expect to win, because the prize should only go to @LittleSimz but if for it doesn’t I dread to think how fat the stack was that Island Records had wired into all the judge's off shore bank accounts. I don't ever want to know.

— Yard Act (@YardActBand) July 26, 2022

The 2021 Mercury prize was awarded to Arlo Parks for Collapsed In Sunbeams.