The best British music of the year has been handily summarized in a 12-point list, as this year's Mercury Prize nominees were unveiled this afternoon in London.
The Mercury, which aims to honour the best album based on musical merit alone by a British or Irish artist, is known for pitting diverse acts against each other for a £20,000 purse. As Anthony Hegart of 2005 Mercury Prize-winning band Anthony and the Johnsons once said, the competition is like "a crazy contest between an orange and a spaceship and a potted plant and a spoon -- which one do you like better?"
Hmmm...our money's on the spaceship. As for this year's actual batch of nominees, it's a tougher call.
The shortlist of 12 nominees includes everyone from rock juggernauts like Radiohead and Robert Plant, dubstep musician Burial, pop divas like Adele and Estelle, jazz ensemble Portico Quartet and folkies Laura Marling and Rachel Unthank. Check out the full list below.
The winner will be announced at an awards gala in September. Last year, the prize went to nu-ravers The Klaxons.
2008 Mercury Prize Shortlist:
-Adele - 19
-British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
-Burial - Untrue
-Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
-Estelle – Shine
-Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
-Neon Neon - Stainless Style
-Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea
-Rachel Unthank - The Bairns
-Radiohead - In Rainbows
-Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
-The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
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