The latest bookies’ odds for the winner of the 2023 Mercury Prize ahead of this week’s ceremony have been released, with Loyle Carner, Young Fathers and Jockstrap among the favourites.
The 12 albums that have been shortlisted for the Album Of The Year award were announced earlier this summer.
Jockstrap’s debut LP ‘I Love You Jennifer B’ is currently favourite to clinch the prize according to Bet365, with odds of 6-4. This is followed by Loyle Carner, whose album ‘Hugo’ has been given 7-2 odds.
He is followed by Young Fathers’ ‘Heavy Heavy’ on 5-1, Irish folk band Lankum on 6-1 with their fourth LP ‘False Lankum’, while Fred Again.. for ‘Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)’, has odds of 9-1.
RAYE‘s ‘My 21st Century Blues’ comes in at 14-1, followed by both Jessie Ware‘s ‘That! Feels Good!’ and J Hus‘ ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’ which each have have odds of 22-1.
Arctic Monkeys meanwhile have odds of 25-1 for ‘The Car’, as does Ezra Collective‘s ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’. Finally, both while Shygirl‘s ‘Nymph’ and Olivia Dean‘s debut album ‘Messy’ come in at 33-1.
The winner of the prize will be announced at a live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo this Thursday (September 7), and will be judged by a panel including Anna Calvi, Jamie Cullum, Mistajam and more.
It will feature live performances from Ezra Collective, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Jockstrap, Lankum, Loyle Carner, Olivia Dean, RAYE, Shygirl and Young Fathers who will each perform one track from their shortlisted album.
Both Fred Again.. and the Arctic Monkeys are on tour this month meaning that they will not be in attendance for the show. A live performance film will be shown to celebrate each of their albums that were nominated for the prize.
Speaking to NME recently, Shygirl said of her nomination: “I’m so torn, because half of me is like, ‘You totally deserve this’ and the other half is like, ‘I’m so grateful!’ That’s why Shygirl is like a juxtaposition in itself. I do feel like you have to back yourself.”
“It’s just great to be in the room with so many other amazing artists. That, I will speak about the most because it makes me look even better. Everyone else on this list is so amazing.”
In 2022, Little Simz won the Mercury Prize for her album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’. The London rapper beat off competition from fellow favourites Self Esteem and Wet Leg last October.