Mercury Prize 2026 shortlist announced as pop icon JADE and Newcastle's Knats nominated

The nominees for the Mercury Prize 2026 were revealed on Thursday morning, following Sam Fender's victory last year. The newly announced shortlist includes pop icon JADE and Newcastle's Knats, who have both secured nominations for the prestigious award. This announcement marks the official start of the competition for the 2026 cycle, identifying the artists who will contend for the prize after the previous year's win by Sam Fender in the highly anticipated music industry event.