CMAT, Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C. nominated for 2025 Mercury Prize

CMAT, Sam Fender, and Fontaines D.C. are among the artists shortlisted for the 2025 Mercury Prize.

The twelve Albums of the Year were announced on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds by Lauren Laverne on Wednesday morning (10.09.25).

Alongside CMAT’s EURO-COUNTRY, Fender’s People Watching, and Fontaines’ Romance, the list also features FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA, PinkPantheress’ Fancy That, Pulp’s More, and Pa Salieu’s Afrikan Alien.

Wolf Alice received the third Mercury Prize nomination of their career for The Clearing. They previously won the award in 2018 with Visions of a Life and were also nominated in 2021 for Blue Weekend.

The shortlist also includes Jacob Alon’s In Limerence, Joe Webb’s Hamstrings and Hurricanes, Martin Carthy’s Transform Me Then Into a Fish, and Emma-Jean Thackray’s Weirdo.

For the first time in its history, the ceremony will be staged outside London, taking place at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on October 16.

In addition to the main event, the Mercury Prize Newcastle Fringe will run from Thursday October 9 to Wednesday October 15. It has been described as a celebration of the “North East’s phenomenal music scene” with the promise that “iconic venues [will come] alive like never before.”

The 2024 ceremony was held at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios, where English Teacher won with their debut album This Could Be Texas.

Remaining tickets for the 2025 Awards Show are available at www.utilitaarena.co.uk/events/detail/2025-mercury-prize.

The twelve Albums of the Year for the 2025 Mercury Prize are:

CMAT EURO-COUNTRY
Emma-Jean Thackray Weirdo
FKA twigs EUSEXUA
Fontaines D.C. Romance
Jacob Alon In Limerence
Joe Webb Hamstrings and Hurricanes
Martin Carthy : Transform Me Then Into a Fish
Pa Salieu Afrikan Alien
PinkPantheress Fancy That
Pulp More
Sam Fender People Watching
Wolf Alice The Clearing