Premi Mercury

El Premi Mercury (en anglès Mercury Prize), també conegut com a Premi Musical Mercuri i, més recentment, com el "Barclaycard Mercury Prize" per motius de patrocini, és un premi anual de música al millor àlbum del Regne Unit o Irlanda. Va ser establert per l'Associació Britànica de Discogràfiques i BARD el 1992 com un alternatiu als premis Brit. Originalment va ser patrocinat per Mercury Communications (ara desaparegut) i més tard per Technics, entre 2002 a 2004 per Panasonic, de 2004 fins a 2008 per Nationwide Building Society i des de març de 2009 per Barclaycard.

Premi Mercury

Tipus	guardó
Epònim	Mercury Communications (en)
Vigència	1992  -
Interval de temps	1992  -
Estat	Regne Unit
Conferit per	Indústria Fonogràfica Britànica
Guanyador	Primal Scream, Per l'obra Screamadelica (en) (1992) Suede, Per l'obra Suede (1993) M People (oc) , Per l'obra Elegant Slumming (en) (1994) Portishead, Per l'obra Dummy (1995) Pulp, Per l'obra Different Class (1996) Reprazent, Per l'obra New Forms (en) (1997) Gomez, Per l'obra Bring It On (en) (1998) Talvin Singh, Per l'obra Ok (en) (1999) Badly Drawn Boy, Per l'obra The Hour of Bewilderbeast (en) (2000) PJ Harvey, Per l'obra Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (en) (2001) Ms. Dynamite, Per l'obra A Little Deeper (en) (2002) Dizzee Rascal, Per l'obra Boy in da Corner (en) (2003) Franz Ferdinand, Per l'obra Franz Ferdinand (en) (2004) Anohni and the Johnsons, Per l'obra I Am a Bird Now (en) (2005) Arctic Monkeys, Per l'obra Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) Klaxons (en) , Per l'obra Myths of the Near Future (en) (2007) Elbow, Per l'obra The Seldom Seen Kid (en) (2008) Speech Debelle, Per l'obra Speech Therapy (en) (2009) The xx, Per l'obra xx (2010) PJ Harvey, Per l'obra Let England Shake (en) (2011) alt-J, Per l'obra An Awesome Wave (en) (2012) James Blake, Per l'obra Overgrown (en) (2013) Young Fathers, Per l'obra Dead (en) (2014) Benjamin Sainte-Clémentine, Per l'obra At least for now (en) (2015) Skepta, Per l'obra Konnichiwa (2016) Sampha, Per l'obra Process (en) (2017) Wolf Alice (en) , Per l'obra Visions of a Life (en) (2018) Dave, Per l'obra Psychodrama (en) (2019) Michael Kiwanuka, Per l'obra Kiwanuka (en) (2020) Arlo Parks (en) , Per l'obra Collapsed in Sunbeams (en) (2021) Little Simz, Per l'obra Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (en) (2022) Ezra Collective, Per l'obra Where I'm Meant to Be (en) (2023) English Teacher, Per l'obra This Could Be Texas (en) (2024)
Lloc web	mercuryprize.com

Normalment el lliurament del Premi Mercury té lloc al setembre, encara que els àlbums candidats s'anuncien al juliol. Sovint els grups que són candidats o que guanyen el premi tenen un gran augment en vendes del seu àlbum, especialment quan els candidats són poc coneguts.^[1] Les nominacions són triades per un jurat de músics, periodistes i altres figures de la indústria musical del Regne Unit i Irlanda.

Fins avui, PJ Harvey és l'única artista que ha guanyat aquest premi en més d'una ocasió (en 2001 i 2011). També va ser la primera solista femenina a rebre el premi.^[2]

Guanyadors i candidats

Primal Scream, guanyador inaugural

Suede, guanyadors el 1993

Beth Gibbons, de Portishead, guanyadors el 1995

Pulp, guanyadors el 1996

Badly Drawn Boy, guanyador el 2000

PJ Harvey, guanyadora el 2001 i 2011

Ms. Dynamite, guanyadora el 2002

Dizzee Rascal, guanyador el 2003

Franz Ferdinand, guanyadors el 2004

Antony Hegarty, d'Antony and the Johnsons, guanyadors el 2005

Klaxons, guanyadors el 2007

Speech Debelle, guanyadora el 2009

The xx, guanyadors el 2010

Alt-J, guanyadors el 2012

James Blake, guanyador el 2013

Young Fathers, guanyadors el 2014.

Any	Guanyador	Candidats	Ref.
1992	Primal Scream – Screamadelica	Barry Adamson – Soul Murder Jah Wobble – Rising Above Bedlam The Jesus and Mary Chain – Honey's Dead Bheki Mseleku – Celebration Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha Simply Red – Stars U2 – Achtung Baby John Tavener & Steven Isserlis –The Protecting Veil Young Disciples – Road to Freedom	[3]
1993	Suede – Suede	Apache Indian – No Reservations The Auteurs – New Wave Gavin Bryars – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet Dina Carroll – So Close PJ Harvey – Rid of Me New Order – Republic Stereo MCs – Connected Sting – Ten Summoner's Tales Stan Tracey – Portraits Plus	[4]
1994	M People – Elegant Slumming	Blur – Parklife Ian McNabb – Head Like A Rock Shara Nelson – What Silence Knows Michael Nyman – The Piano Concerto and MGV The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation Pulp – His 'n' Hers Take That – Everything Changes Therapy? – Troublegum Paul Weller – Wild Wood	[5]
1995	Portishead – Dummy	Guy Barker – Into the Blue Elastica – Elastica PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love Leftfield – Leftism James MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the Cross Van Morrison – Days Like This Oasis – Definitely Maybe Supergrass – I Should Coco Tricky – Maxinquaye	[6]
1996	Pulp – Different Class	Artists for War Child – Help Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah Peter Maxwell Davies/Orquesta Filarmónica de la BBC – The Beltane Fire / Caroline Mathilde Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz Stories Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants Norma Waterson – Norma Waterson	[7]
1997	Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms	The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole Beth Orton – Trailer Park Primal Scream – Vanishing Point The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land Radiohead – OK Computer Spice Girls – Spice Suede – Coming Up John Tavener – Svyati Mark-Anthony Turnage – Your Rockaby	[6]
1998	Gomez – Bring It On	4hero – Two Pages Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi's Revenge Eliza Carthy – Red Rice Catatonia – International Velvet Cornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th Time Massive Attack – Mezzanine Propellerheads – Decksandrumsandrockandroll Pulp – This Is Hardcore John Surman – Proverbs & Songs The Verve – Urban Hymns Robbie Williams – Life thru a Lens	[6]
1999	Talvin Singh – Ok	Thomas Adès – Asyla Denys Baptiste – Be Where You Are Black Star Liner – Bengali Bantam Youth Experience! Blur – 13 The Chemical Brothers – Surrender Faithless – Sunday 8PM Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours Beth Orton – Central Reservation Kate Rusby – Sleepless Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails Underworld – Beaucoup Fish	[8]
2000	Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast	Richard Ashcroft – Alone with Everybody Coldplay – Parachutes M. J. Cole – Sincere Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions The Delgados – The Great Eastern Doves – Lost Souls Helicopter Girl – How to Steal the World Leftfield – Rhythm and Stealth Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto Nitin Sawhney – Beyond Skin Kathryn Williams – Little Black Numbers
2001	PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea	Basement Jaxx – Rooty Elbow – Asleep in the Back Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain Gorillaz – Gorillaz (nomination withdrawn at the request of the band)[9] Ed Harcourt – Here Be Monsters Tom McRae – Tom McRae Radiohead – Amnesiac Susheela Raman – Salt Rain Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World Turin Brakes – The Optimist LP Zero 7 – Simple Things	[10]
2002	Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper	Guy Barker – Soundtrack The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me David Bowie – Heathen The Coral – The Coral Doves – The Last Broadcast The Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the Wall Gemma Hayes – Night on My Side Beverley Knight – Who I Am Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me Joanna MacGregor – Play The Streets – Original Pirate Material	[11]
2003	Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner	Athlete – Vehicles and Animals Eliza Carthy – Anglicana Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head The Darkness – Permission to Land Floetry – Floetic Soweto Kinch – Conversations with the Unseen Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons The Thrills – So Much for the City Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic Radiohead – Hail to the Thief Terri Walker – Untitled	[12]
2004	Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand	Basement Jaxx – Kish Kash Belle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress Jamelia – Thank You Keane – Hopes and Fears Snow Patrol – Final Straw Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free Ty – Upwards Amy Winehouse – Frank Robert Wyatt – Cuckooland The Zutons – Who Killed...... The Zutons?	[13]
2005	Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now	Bloc Party – Silent Alarm Coldplay – X&Y Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV Kaiser Chiefs – Employment KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope M.I.A. – Arular Maxïmo Park – A Certain Trigger Polar Bear – Held on the Tips of Fingers Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers
2006	Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not	Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas Editors – The Back Room Guillemots – Through the Windowpane Richard Hawley – Coles Corner Hot Chip – The Warning Muse – Black Holes & Revelations Zoe Rahman – Melting Pot Lou Rhodes – Beloved One Scritti Politti – White Bread Black Beer Sway – This Is My Demo Thom Yorke – The Eraser	[14]
2007	Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future	Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare Basquiat Strings con Seb Rochford – Basquiat Strings Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English Maps – We Can Create New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom Fionn Regan – The End of History Jamie T – Panic Prevention The View – Hats Off to the Buskers Amy Winehouse – Back to Black Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men	[15]
2008	Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid	Adele – 19 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? Burial – Untrue Estelle – Shine The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim Neon Neon – Stainless Style Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand Portico Quartet – Knee Deep In The North Sea Radiohead – In Rainbows Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns	[16]
2009	Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy	Bat for Lashes – Two Suns Florence and the Machine – Lungs Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires Glasvegas – Glasvegas Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew The Horrors – Primary Colours The Invisible – The Invisible Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum La Roux – La Roux Led Bib – Sensible Shoes Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men	[17]
2010	The xx – xx	Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea Dizzee Rascal – Tongue n' Cheek Foals – Total Life Forever I Am Kloot – Sky at Night Kit Downes Trio – Golden Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation Villagers – Becoming a Jackal Wild Beasts – Two Dancers	[18]
2011	PJ Harvey – Let England Shake	Adele – 21 Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys! Everything Everything – Man Alive Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam Gwilym Simcock – Good Days at Schloss Elmau James Blake – James Blake Katy B – On a Mission King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine Metronomy – The English Riviera Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy	[19]
2012	Alt-J – An Awesome Wave	Ben Howard – Every Kingdom Django Django – Django Django Field Music – Plumb Jessie Ware – Devotion Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again Plan B – Ill Manors Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky's Edge Roller Trio – Roller Trio Sam Lee – Ground of Its Own The Maccabees – Given to the Wild	[20]
2013	James Blake – Overgrown	Arctic Monkeys – AM David Bowie – The Next Day Disclosure – Settle Foals – Holy Fire Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg Jon Hopkins – Immunity Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle Laura Mvula – Sing to the Moon Rudimental – Home Savages – Silence Yourself Villagers – Awayland	[21]
2014	Young Fathers – Dead	Anna Calvi – One Breath Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots East India Youth – Total Strife Forever FKA twigs – LP1 GoGo Penguin – V2.0 Jungle – Jungle Kate Tempest – Everybody Down Nick Mulvey – First Mind Polar Bear – In Each and Every One Royal Blood – Royal Blood	[22]

Controvèrsies

Aquest guardó té fama d'atorgar-se a candidats sorpresa més que als favorits.^[23][24] Els guanyadors el 1994 van ser M People, una decisió controvertida quan es considera que la preselecció de candidats va incloure àlbums de Paul Weller, Blur, Pulp i The Prodigy.^[25][26][27]

Altres periodistes musicals que havien participat com a crítics van dir que el premi de 2005 no hauria d'haver estat per a Antony and the Johnsons perquè són un grup amb base als Estats Units, encara que van néixer al Regne Unit.^[28][29] El 2006 l'àlbum de Mark Lanegan i Isobel Campbell, Ballad of the Broken Seas va ser inclòs en la preselecció de candidats, encara que Lanegan no és britànic, i diversos membres dels Guillemots, que van ser candidats en 2006, procedien de Brasil i el Canadà.^[30][31][32]

La presència d'enregistraments de música clàssica, música folklòrica i jazz ha estat citada per alguns com a anòmala, exposant que comparar aquests enregistraments amb altres candidats pot ser injust.^[33] Els candidats clàssics han inclòs John Tavener, Peter Maxwell Davies, Gavin Bryars i Nicholas Maw. Cap ha guanyat, i no hi ha hagut un àlbum clàssic en la preselecció de candidats des de 2002.