Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

At the launch event for the Mercury Prize in June, Scottish jazz musician corto.alto was visibly overwhelmed.

“I’m in disbelief,” he told the BBC, having never been anywhere near a red carpet in his life before.

Born Liam Shortall, his nomination comes for the cross-genre Bad With Names, which fuses his love of 90s hip-hop and dub with his professional training as a jazz trombonist.

A real musical polyglot, he records constantly, sketching out ideas at home before fleshing them out with friends in the studio.

In fact, he told us that, after releasing his debut album, he had so much spare energy that he recorded 108 new songs.“I mean, a lot of it is not good,” he laughed.

“But that's the process of being creative - I don't judge myself on whether it's good or bad. I just love doing it.

“And then, eventually, you end up kind of accidentally making 108 tracks.”

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Mercury Prize aficionados will notice that this year’s ceremony isn’t quite the glitzy showbiz extravaganza of years gone by.

Rather than a huge bash with multiple live performances (and a full audience), we’re in a studio at Abbey Road, and all the music is pre-taped.

The smaller scale is an act of necessity – a sponsorship deal with taxi company Freenow ended last year, and efforts to find a replacement didn’t come to fruition.

Still, a night out at Abbey Road isn’t to be sniffed at; and the all-important £25,000 prize is still intact.

Organisers say they hope to have a new sponsor in place in time for next year’s ceremony.

The Mercury Prize 2024: Album of the Year TV programme has just begun, which you can watch by pressing watch live above.

It's hosted by broadcaster and DJ Annie Mac and BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Huw Stephens.

The winner will be announced at around 21:00 BST - stay with us and we'll bring you all the latest from Abbey Road Studios.

Image source, Getty Images

Irish singer-songwriter CMAT joins this year’s list of nominees following the release of her second album CrazyMad, For Me.

A concept album about time travel and heartbreak, CMAT - real name Ciara Mary Alice Thompson - takes on the character of a 47-year-old version of herself who sets off to live in a Californian desert after a big break up.

Upon its release, music publication NME referred to CMAT as “Dublin’s answer to Dolly Parton”, and it’s not hard to see why. The music is staggeringly original.

Earlier this year, CMAT said the BBC disabled comments on an Instagram video of her Big Weekend performance after she received abusive messages about her weight.

"I didn't realise it was illegal to have a huge ass!" she wrote.

"I am guilty as charged. It is time to lock me up and throw away the key.”

Image source, PA Media

Last year, Ezra Collective became the first jazz band to win the prestigious Mercury Prize with their album Where I’m Meant To Be.

The quintet was up against big names in the music industry, including Jessie Ware, J Hus, Arctic Monkeys, Fred Again, and Raye.

Accepting the award, drummer Femi Koleoso said the group "represents something very special because we met in a youth club".

"This is not just a result for Ezra Collective, or for UK jazz, but this is a special moment for every single organisation across the country, ploughing efforts and time into young people playing music,” Koleoso said.

The 2023 ceremony in west London saw performances from the winners themselves, as well as other nominees. Raye impressed the crowd with The Thrill Is Gone. from her debut album, and rapper Loyle Carner gave a powerful performance of his track HGU.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

I've just grabbed a chat with a certain TikTok star turned Mercury Prize nominee - Cat Burns.

She's in the running for the top prize with her debut album, Early Twenties.

It's such a vulnerable album exploring themes of anxiety and loneliness, so I ask her whether work like this brings the audience closer to her.

"Absolutely," she says.

"Something for me that is super important is to always be honest and always be authentic about whatever it is I'm experiencing.

"I love it when I get reminders that my experiences are not just my own. It's nice to know in a non-mean way that we're not that unique."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Opulent, gothic, melodramatic and crammed full of hooks, The Last Dinner Party’s album is an antidote to all the quiet, confessional ballads that have populated the charts for the last five years.

Formed in London, but drawn from all over the UK and Australia, the five-piece draw equally from the fiery dynamics of Florence + The Machine, and the art-rock instincts of Sparks and Roxy Music.

Fronted by human windmill Abigail Morris, and brought to life by killer guitarist Emily Roberts, the songs tackle everything from Catholic guilt to sex and death, with a penchant for unexpected tempo-switches and intriguing chord changes.

Honed over months of live performance, there’s an visceral feel to the album’s 12 tracks, which were recorded (where else) in a church in North London last year.

They say: “We wanted our debut album to be a mission statement.”

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Sometimes, music just floats out of the speakers and wraps you in a big, warm hug. That’s what Edinburgh-born Joshua Mannie, aka Barry Can’t Swim, achieves on his debt album, When Will We Land?

A blissed-out house record, spiced with elements of Afrobeats and Brazilian pop, it’s a euphoric hymn to the unifying power of dance music.

He says: “You only get to make your debut album once. So I want to showcase all the elements of the things I enjoy and love in music up to this point.”

The critics say: “It's a record that makes every element work in its favour, however small – brewing them up into something quite magical.”

As we’ve been reporting, among the favourites to win tonight’s top prize is Charli XCX with her latest record, Brat.

Upon its release, British music magazine NME called it the sound of a “pop pioneer fully embracing the dancefloor”.

Produced by Charli XCX along with collaborations with AG Cook, Finn Keane, Cirkut and George Daniel, Brat debuted on the UK charts straight to number two.

“More than ever now, people are rewarding the niche,” the artist told the Guardian newspaper earlier this year.

“Finally, it seems fine that I’m just myself, and suddenly people like it. It’s good to finally be accepted.”

And it’s not just the album’s music that made an impact this summer, it’s the whole aesthetic - with it’s lime green cover art even being adopted by Democratic US presidential nominee Kamala Harris, which Charli XCX endorsed.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The red carpet is in full swing here at Abbey Road Studios, and I've just caught up with Irish singer-songwriter CMAT.

She's nominated for her second album, CrazyMad, For Me, and it's all pretty surreal.

"I don't really think I ever thought about prizes - although I think everyone wants to do a speech," she tells me.

"But really, I think you just dream about getting to be on stage and sing and dance and do your silly little songs. I think getting an award for it, it’s not the point, is it?"

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

The Mercury Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in British music. Musicians love it because it recognises artistic achievement, rather than commercial success.

The £25,000 cheque can’t hurt either.

But what does it mean to win?

Last year’s prize went to jazz outfit Ezra Collective, whose album Where I’m Meant To Be saw a 6,012% sales increase immediately after the award, according to Official Charts Company data.

The record went straight back into the Top 40 and, in November, the band will become the first jazz act ever to headline Wembley Arena.

In an era of declining album sales, you could argue the prize is more significant than ever – by turning a spotlight on records that might otherwise be forgotten.

But even the Mercury can’t change the trajectory of the music industry. In 1998, indie band Gomez sold a million records worldwide off the back of their victory, with half of those sales coming from the UK.

Ezra Collective’s album has yet to meet the relatively low bar for a silver record – which is 60,000 sales.

So today’s prize is more about profile and recognition than a significant financial boost.

The 2024 Mercury Prize's 12 Albums of the Year are:

• Barry Can't Swim: When Will We Land?
• BERWYN: Who Am I
• Beth Gibbons: Lives Outgrown
• Cat Burns: Early twenties
• Charli XCX: BRAT
• CMAT: Crazymad, for Me
• Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows
• corto.alto: Bad with Names
• English Teacher: This Could Be Texas
• Ghetts: On Purpose, With Purpose
• Nia Archives: Silence Is Loud
• The Last Dinner Party: Prelude to Ecstasy

To be eligible for the Prize, albums by British and Irish artists must have a UK release date between 15 July 2023 and 12 July 2024.

Image source, Getty Images

The Mercury Prize rewards the best music from the UK and Ireland, highlighting 12 Albums of the Year across a wide spectrum of genres.

Each year, UK record labels submit around 230 albums for consideration, showcasing both well-established artists and fresh, emerging talent.

The Mercury Prize has no specific categories. All 12 shortlisted albums are awarded a trophy, with the overall winner receiving an additional trophy and £25,000 in prize money.

An independent panel of music experts selects the 12 nominees, basing their choices solely on the quality of the music. On the day of the show, the experts reconvene to choose the overall winning album.

The award aims to celebrate artistic excellence, provide a snapshot of the year's music and introduce new albums to a broader audience.

The prize can significantly boost public awareness of the winning album, while raising the profiles of all shortlisted artists.

Rachel Flynn
Live reporter

Brat summer might be over, but tonight the fun continues with the announcement of this year’s Mercury Prize award.

Pop princess Charli XCX has dominated headlines this summer, but can Brat win Album of the Year?

Keep in mind, the prize is famous for not choosing the favourites, so we could be in for an interesting night.

From Trinidad-born artist BERWYN’s debut album Who Am I to Put Your Records On star, Corinne Bailey Rae’s fourth record Black Rainbows, there’s a whole host of genres in the running tonight.

Our correspondents are at Abbey Road Studios in London with the 12 nominees, and they’ll be sharing their insights and analysis with you throughout the night.

The awards ceremony begins at 20:00 BST and you can watch the programme live by pressing watch live above.