Olivia Dean and RAYE are among the nominees for the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize, which recognizes artistic achievement by U.K. and Irish musicians.
Projects by the “Man I Need” and “Where Is My Husband!” singers are among the 12 albums nominated for the Prize, which is open to records released by British or Irish artists between Aug. 30, 2025, and July 17, 2026.
Olivia’s album The Art of Love and RAYE’s This Music May Contain Hope. are up against releases by Florence + The Machine, ex-Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall aka JADE and Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney, among others.
Also nominated is HELP (2), a charity album featuring tracks by multiple artists performing under the collective name War Child. That album includes Olivia Rodrigo’s version of “The Book of Love,” originally recorded by the indie band The Magnetic Fields.
The 2026 Mercury Awards show will take place Oct. 22 in Newcastle, England, and will feature live performances by many of the nominees, along with the presentation of the award. The winner is selected by an independent judging panel made up of musicians, journalists, producers, executives and other music biz figures.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp
Dove Ellis – Blizzard
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Knats – A Great Day In Newcastle
Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Paul McCartney – The Boys of Dungeon Lane
RAYE – THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.
Suede – Antidepressants
War Child Records – HELP(2)
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