Florence & The Machine Up For World’s Most Esteemed Music Award

Florence & The Machine, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Wolf Alice and more have been named as finalists for the 2018 Mercury Prize.

Regarded as one of the highest honours a musician can receive, the annual music prize will see 12 artists who released acclaimed albums over this past year battle it out for the award.

Australian artist Maaike Kito Lebbing, aka Kito, contributed to one of the acclaimed albums on this year’s shortlist, co-writing and co-producing two songs for Jorja Smith’s Lost & Found LP, On Your Own and The One.

The Albums Of The Year award “celebrates and promotes the best of UK music recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres”.

The 2018 Mercury Prize Shortlist:

Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino

Everything Everything - A Fever Dream

Everything Is Recorded - Everything Is Recorded

Florence & The Machine - High As Hope

Jorja Smith - Lost & Found

King Krule - The Ooz

Lily Allen - No Shame

Nadine Shah - Holiday Destination

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Who Built The Moon?

Novelist - Novelist Guy

Sons Of Kemet - Your Queen Is A Reptile

Wolf Alice - Visions Of A Life

“This year’s Hyundai Mercury Prize celebrates albums by musicians at all stages of their careers, but with a shared belief in the importance of music for navigating life’s challenges – whether personal or political, falling in or out of love, growing up or looking back, angry or ecstatic,” judges said.

“The music here is funny and inspiring, smart and moving. Twelve amazing albums.”

This year’s shortlist was selected by an independent judging panel, with the winner to be unveiled on September 30 at Hammersmith Apollo in London.

Recent recipients include Sampha (2017), Skepta (2016), Benjamin Clementine (2015), Young Fathers (2014), James Blake (2013), alt-J (2012) and more.