Yesterday (July 21), the list of finalists contending for the Barclaycard Mercury Award, which goes out to the album of the year in the United Kingdom, was announced.
The big favourites announced are the group Kasabian for the album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum and the group Florence & The Machine for the disc Lungs. Among the other finalists, we find Speech Debelle with Speech Therapy, The Invisible for The Invisible, La Roux with La Roux, and Led Bid for Sensible Shoes.
The Mercury Prize is the British equivalent to the Shortlist Award in the United States or the Polaris Prize in Canada. It is given to the best musical artist of the year in Britain or Ireland.
The big winner will be chosen by 12 representatives from a pool of music journalists or industry figures during a televised ceremony taking place on September 8 in London.
Over the past years, Suede, the Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons have been crowned with the honour.