Xfm's Bluffer's Guide To The Barclaycard Mercury Prize
Don't know your Speech Debelles from your Led Bibs? Let Xfm tell you what's what...
What is it?
It's the annual award for the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland. It was founded in 1992 by the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers as an independent alternative to the Brit Awards.
Who picks it?
There's a specially-picked panel of musicians, journalists and music biz movers and shakers. Xfm’s John Kennedy is one of the judges who will spend today deciding on the winner.
What's the prize?
Apart from the hefty cash prize, the winner usually sees an upturn in album sales. However, the "curse" of the Mercury has seen several acts suffer from the glare of the spotligh: 1998 winner Gomez struggled to follow up their debut album 'Bring It On' and the following year's winner Talvin Singh was dropped by his label soon after. And whatever happened to Ms Dynamite?
When does it take place?
This year's ceremony will happen tonight (September 8) in a posh hotel in London. For the first time ever all twelve nominated artists will perform live at the event.
Who are the past winners?
1992 Primal Scream - 'Screamadelica'
1993 Suede - 'Suede'
1994 M People - 'Elegant Slumming'
1995 Portishead - 'Dummy'
1996 Pulp - 'Different Class'
1997 Roni Size/Reprazent - 'New Forms'
1998 Gomez - 'Bring It On'
1999 Talvin Singh - 'OK'
2000 Badly Drawn Boy - 'The Hour of Bewilderbeast'
2001 PJ Harvey - 'Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea'
2002 Ms. Dynamite - 'A Little Deeper'
2003 Dizzee Rascal - 'Boy In Da Corner'
2004 Franz Ferdinand - 'Franz Ferdinand'
2005 Antony And The Johnsons - 'I Am A Bird Now'
2006 Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
2007 Klaxons - 'Myths of the Near Future'
2008 Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Who's in it this year?
See this page for full details...
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