Mercury Prize 2026: Paul McCartney becomes first-time nominee in thrilling shortlist

Published on 30/07/2026 - 15:37 GMT+2 The full shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2026 has been unveiled, and it's a thrillingly diverse set of nominees to compete for the prestigious album award. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Among this year's nominees are JADE, Nia Archives, Suede, Olivia Dean, RAYE, Florence + The Machine and Paul McCartney, who scores his first ever nomination this year for his album 'The Boys Of Dungeon Lane'. The 84-year-old ex-Beatle joins folk music pioneer Martin Carthy as the joint oldest ever Mercury Prize nominee, as Carthy was also 84 when he was nominated last year for his album 'Transform Me Then Into A Fish'. McCartney's latest album, a sentimental lookback at his early years before the success of the Fab Four, has received widespread acclaim. In Euronews Culture's review of 'The Boys Of Dungeon Lane', we wrote: "It may not be a late-period masterpiece, but McCartney achieves what he sets out to do: unabashedly embrace the past, take a trip down its long and winding road, and delight in remembrance. All without toppling into maudlin territory." Read the full review here and scroll down for the full list of nominees. Notable nominees this year include Olivia Dean and Florence + The Machine, who both released two of our favourite albums of 2025; Newcastle jazz band Knats, who are nominated for their excellent LP 'A Great Day In Newcastle'; one of our favourites to win, Nia Archives and her second album 'Emotional Junglist'; and the War Child Records compilation album 'HELP(2)', which features the likes of Pulp, Fontaines D.C., Depeche Mode, Young Fathers, Damon Albarn and Olivia Rodrigo. The charity album was recorded at Abbey Road to raise money for War Child - the international charity founded in 1993 that protects, educates, and stands up for the rights of children living through conflict zones globally. The album is the sequel to 1995’s 'The Help Album', the only other compilation to be nominated in Mercury history. To be eligible for this year’s prize, albums must have been released by British or Irish artists released between 30 August 2025 and 17 July 2026. Naturally, there are some snubs in this year’s shortlist – most notably Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl’; Blood Orange’s terrific ‘Essex Honey’; The Last Dinner Party’s sophomore effort ‘From The Pyre’ (another one of our favourite albums of 2025); and Kneecap’s ‘Fenian’ - which made the Top 3 in our ranking of this year’s best albums (so far). This year’s victors will be announced on 22 October in a ceremony held at Newcastle's Utilita Arena. The winner will join the likes of Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Elbow, PJ Harvey and Franz Ferdinand. Last year's winner, Sam Fender, donated his $25,000 prize money to the Music Venue Trust, highlighting the importance of struggling small gig spaces in the UK. Here is full shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2026: 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)’