2008 Mercury Prize nominees announced

[Above: Perennial nominee Alex Turner (here representing the 2006-winning, 2007-nominated Arctic Monkeys) accepts a Mercury. His project The Last Shadow Puppets is up for nomination this year.]

For many award events, the fervency of surrounding discussion seems as influential as the actual bestowing of accolades. The Mercury Prize, given to the best album by a British or Irish artist made in the previous year, is no exception.

First, the nominees:

Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle - Shine
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep in the North Sea
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns

All well and good, but there are a few caveats. Brooklyn Vegan points out that this is Radiohead's fourth nomination after losing three times—one of them back in 1997, when OK Computer gave up the goat to Roni Size's Reprazent. Billboard reports that this being "a remarkably rich year for British music" is how chair of judges Simon Frith helps explain the absence of multi-platinum albums like Coldplay's Viva La Vida and Duffy's Rockferry. And Pitchfork further raises a Titan-stick at the exclusion of M.I.A., Portishead (who beat out Oasis in the 1995 runnings), Kate Nash and Robert Wyatt. While we're at it: where Foals at?

The ceremony is to take place on Sept. 9 in London and will feature performances from various nominees. Lauren Laverne will present, with Jools Holland hosting, and BBC 2 will carry the show live before broadcasting it again three days later.

Related links:
NationwideMercurys.com
Mercury Prize on MySpace
News: Klaxon's take '07 Mercury Prize

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