McCartney Gets First Mercury Prize Nod for Boys of Dungeon Lane
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- Paul McCartney earns his first Mercury Prize nomination in the award's 34-year history for The Boys of Dungeon Lane, an album reflecting on his Liverpool childhood and friendships with his Beatles bandmates; he said he felt John Lennon's presence while writing it.
- Olivia Dean is shortlisted for The Art of Loving, which has spent 42 of its 43 weeks since release in the UK Top 5 — eight at No 1 — after sweeping the Brit Awards earlier this year.
- Dave receives a nomination for The Boy Who Played the Harp, which contains the global hit Raindance; the Guardian awarded it five stars, and Dave previously won the Mercury in 2019 for Psychodrama.
- Florence + the Machine lands a fourth nomination for Everybody Scream, meaning only Radiohead has been shortlisted more times without winning the prize.
- Help(2), a charity compilation recorded at Abbey Road to benefit War Child and featuring Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Sampha, and others, becomes only the second compilation album ever nominated for the Mercury.
- Eight of the 12 nominees are artists of color; notable snubs include Lily Allen's West End Girl, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Charli xcx, and Kneecap, while Blood Orange's Essex Honey missed eligibility by one day.
- The winner will be decided by an 11-strong industry panel and announced at Newcastle's Utilita Arena on 22 October, with Newcastle natives Knats hoping to repeat Sam Fender's 2025 hometown win.
Why it matters: McCartney's first nomination in the prize's 34-year history is a milestone for an artist whose stature long predates the Mercury, while Dean's front-runner status — backed by Brit Awards dominance and a 42-week Top 5 run — signals her crossover from UK favourite to global Grammy contender. The Help(2) nod underscores how the prize is widening to recognize collaborative, cause-driven projects, not just solo LPs.
