Main content

2026 Mercury Prize - Live from Newcastle

Deb Grant and Nathan Shepherd broadcast live from Newcastle as the Mercury Prize 2026 Award Show takes place at the city’s Utilita Arena tonight.

Deb Grant and Nathan Shepherd broadcast live from Newcastle as the Mercury Prize 2026 Award Show takes place at the city’s Utilita Arena tonight. They hear from Matt Everitt, who will be backstage at the event, providing listeners with all the action and interviews with this year’s shortlisted artists. The news of the winning album will be broadcast live to listeners before Deb and Nathan play tracks from the album on air.

The Mercury Prize 12 Albums of the Year were announced on 30 July on 6 Music by Jamz Supernova. The shortlisted albums are:

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)

The awards ceremony, which will be broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, will feature live performances from Dove Ellis, Florence + the Machine, JADE, Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives Olivia Dean, RAYE and Suede.

The Mercury Prize promotes the best of UK and Irish music and the artists who produce it. This is done through the celebration of the 12 Albums of the Year, recognising artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres.

28 days left to listen

4 hours

Last on

Thursday 19:00
BBC Radio 6 Music

More episodes

Previous

Episode 3: Paul McCartney, RAYE, Suede, War Child Records

See all episodes from Mercury Prize

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    Ezra Collective

    Victory Dance

    • Partisan.
  • 00:08

    Sam Fender

    People Watching (Mercury Prize 2025)

  • 00:18

    Klaxons

    Gravity's Rainbow

    • CD SINGLE.
    • Polydor.
  • 00:21

    Arctic Monkeys

    When The Sun Goes Down

    • Domino.
  • 00:25

    Little Simz

    Introvert

    • Awal.
  • 00:33

    Pulp

    Disco 2000

    • Island.
  • 00:37

    Primal Scream

    Movin' On Up

    • Dino.
  • 00:50

    English Teacher

    Nearly Daffodils

    • Island.
  • 00:55

    The xx

    Crystalised

    • CD SINGLE.
    • Young Turks.
    • 1.
  • 00:58

    Sampha

    Blood On Me

    • Young Turks.
  • 01:02

    Franz Ferdinand

    Take Me Out

    • Domino.
  • 01:12

    Paul McCartney

    Days We Left Behind

    • The Boys Of Dungeon Lane.
    • Capitol Records.
  • 01:18

    Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr

    Home To Us

    • The Boys of Dungeon Lane.
    • Capitol.
    • 10.
  • 01:21

    Dave

    Raindance (feat. Tems)

    • Neighbourhood Recordings.
  • 01:25

    Skepta

    That's Not Me (feat. Jme)

    • 3 Beat.
  • 01:28

    Dizzee Rascal

    I Luv U

    • I Luv U.
    • XL Recordings.
    • 1.
  • 01:33

    Elbow

    Grounds For Divorce

    • (CD Single).
    • Fiction.
    • 2.
  • 01:42

    Suede

    Dancing With The Europeans (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 01:47

    RAYE

    I Hate The Way I Look Today (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 01:55

    Knats

    Wor Jackie (Mercury Prize 2026) (feat. Cooper Robson)

  • 02:00

    Olivia Dean

    Let Alone The One You Love (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:04

    M People

    Moving On Up

    • The Best Of M People.
    • BMG.
  • 02:18

    Pulp

    Begging For Change (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:24

    Ms. Dynamite

    Dy-Na-Mi-Tee

    • Polydor.
  • 02:31

    Kojey Radical

    Conversation (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:38

    Dove Ellis

    To The Sandals (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:44

    Jade

    Angel of My Dreams (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:53

    Nia Archives

    Boys In Blue (Mercury Prize 2026)

  • 02:56

    Florence + the Machine

    One Of The Greats (Mercury Prize 2026) (feat. Mark Bowen)

  • 03:04

    Roni Size / Reprazent

    Brown Paper Bag

    • Talkin' Loud.
  • 03:09

    RAYE

    Nightingale Lane.

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • RAYE.
  • 03:13

    RAYE

    Skin & Bones.

    • This Music May Contain Hope.
    • RAYE.
  • 03:17

    RAYE

    WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • RAYE.
  • 03:20

    RAYE

    Fields. (feat. Grandad Michael)

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • Human Re Sources.
  • 03:25

    RAYE, Amma & Absolutely

    Joy.

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • RAYE.
  • 03:36

    RAYE

    Happier Times Ahead.

    • This Music May Contain Hope.
    • RAYE.
  • 03:46

    RAYE

    I Know You're Hurting.

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • Human Re Sources.
    • 7.
  • 03:54

    RAYE

    Fin.

    • THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE..
    • Human Re Sources.
    • 17.

Broadcast

  • Thursday 19:00
    BBC Radio 6 Music