The 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ were announced today on Thursday 23 July.

The 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ are:

Anna Meredith – Fibs (Moshi Moshi)
Charli XCX – How I’m Feeling Now (Atlantic)
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Records)
Georgia - Seeking Thrills (Domino)
Kano – Hoodies All Summer (Parlophone)
Lanterns on the Lake - Spook the Herd (Bella Union)
Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter (Partisan/Chrysalis)
Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka (Polydor)
Moses Boyd – Dark Matter (Exodus/The Orchard/Proper)
Porridge Radio – Every Bad (Secretly Canadian)
Sports Team – Deep Down Happy (Island)
Stormzy – Heavy is the Head (Merky/Atlantic)

The Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ celebrate and promote the best of British music recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres. The shortlist was chosen by an independent judging panel and was revealed on Lauren Laverne’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music from 10.30am to 11.30am on Thursday 23 July. The albums were announced one-by-one and there were interviews with some of the shortlisted artists.

The 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize judges are: Anna Calvi – Musician & Songwriter; Annie Mac – Broadcaster & DJ; Danielle Perry – Broadcaster & Writer; Gaz Coombes - Musician & Songwriter; Gemma Cairney – Broadcaster & DJ; Jamie Cullum - Musician & Broadcaster; Jeff Smith - Head of Music, 6 Music & Radio 2; Jorja Smith – Musician & Songwriter; Mike Walsh - Music Consultant – Kendal Calling/bluedot Festivals, War Child; Phil Alexander – Creative Director, Kerrang!/Contributing Editor, Mojo; Tshepo Mokoena – Editorial Director, VICE.com; Will Hodgkinson - Chief Rock & Pop Critic, The Times. The Chair of the judging panel is Jeff Smith.

The judges said ‘In these difficult and uncertain times the Hyundai Mercury Prize is proud to celebrate the remarkable power of music to inspire and exhilarate. The albums on the 2020 shortlist showcase a great diversity of sounds, styles, ambitions and experience. What these albums share is an irresistible urgency, a belief that their music matters more than ever.’

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive at record labels association, the BPI, which organises the Hyundai Mercury Prize, said ‘Extraordinary music for extraordinary times. The Mercury Prize is back, reminding us that the creative brilliance of our artists is a constant, even when the world is turned upside down. We believe it’s all the more important this year for the Mercury Prize to shine a spotlight on 12 exceptional Albums of the Year, spanning an eclectic gamut of genres and uniting the biggest names in music with the most exciting new talent. These records tell stories, dig deep into the personal experiences of their creators and represent the best in contemporary music. We congratulate all the shortlisted artists and thank our expert judges and our partners, Hyundai and YouTube Music, for supporting this year’s Prize.’

As all events are currently subject to Government guidelines, it is likely that a live awards show will not be happening in September as planned. However the overall winner of the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize will be announced on 24 September 2020. The Prize’s broadcast partner, BBC Music, will be providing extensive television and radio coverage of the Prize and more details will be announced shortly.

Hyundai Motor, the Mercury Prize’s title partner, will be celebrating the shortlisted artists and continuing to support innovations in British music.

The Prize’s new digital music partner, YouTube Music will also be streaming the artists’ performances to international audiences beyond the UK.