Yard Act, Sam Fender Shortlisted For UK’s 2022 Mercury Prize

This year’s Mercury Prize shortlist for 2022 Album Of The Year has been revealed, with Yard Act and Sam Fender among the nominees.

The Mercury Prize – in partnership with mobility app FREE NOW – confirmed that the 12 albums that have been shortlisted for the ‘Album Of The Year’ award include Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might be Introvert, Sam Fender’s Seventeen Going Under, Wet Leg’s self-titled album and Yard Act’s The Overload.

The awards show for the event will take place on September 8 at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Tickets for the event are now available for purchase.

It was announced yesterday that a handful of musicians including Anna Calvi, Lanterns On The Lake’s Hazel Wilde, Loyle Carner and Jamie Cullum helped judge this year’s prize, alongside a range of broadcasters and critics.

The Mercury’s official website has also noted that the 12 nominated artists will “receive a specially commissioned ‘Album Of The Year’ trophy, with the overall winner also receiving a winner trophy and a cash prize of £25,000”.

This year’s Mercury Prize has also announced that it’s new headline sponsor is the FREE NOW mobility app as part of a “multi-year commitment from FREE NOW to support British music”.

Last year, Arlo Parks walked away with the 2021 Mercury Prize for her album Collapsed In Sunbeams. Following her win, Parks performed album cut “Too Good” to a standing ovation.

The shortlist for the 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW Albums Of The Year are as follows:

Fergus McCreadie – Forest Floor
Gwenno – Tresor
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler – For All Our Days That Tear The Heart
Joy Crookes – Skin
Kojey Radical – Reason To Smile
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Nova Twins – Supernova
Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Yard Act – The Overload