Ed Sheeran and Stormzy among Mercury Prize contenders

From Digital Spy

The shortlist for the Mercury Prize's Album of the Year has been announced, and the likes of Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, alt-J and Sampha have found themselves in line for the prestigious award.

The full list of Albums of the Year looks a little something like this:

alt-J – Relaxer

Blossoms – Blossoms

Dinosaur – Together, As One

Ed Sheeran – Divide

Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being

J Hus – Common Sense

Kate Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos

Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone

Sampha – Process

Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer

The Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension

The xx – I See You

The panel of judges have said: "This year's Hyundai Mercury Prize shortlist celebrates the remarkable power of British music. What these artists have in common is an infectious pleasure in music making and an arresting sense of urgency about the music they make.

"They delight in exploring musical possibilities and refusing to be pinned down by genre conventions."

Previous winners of the best album award include Konnichiwa by Skepta in 2016, alt-j with Overgrown in 2013 and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by the Arctic Monkeys in 2006.

The 2017 awards show will take place on Thursday, September 14 at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Four.

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