War Child is an international non-government organisation founded in 1993, working with families, corporations and worldwide governments to ensure protection, education and support for children who are impacted by war and distressing conditions caused by political conflict. War Child UK worked with the music, media and entertainment industries through the 90’s to raise awareness and money for the charity in its beginnings. David Bowie, Elton John and many more artists backed the organisation during its start-up, with some of the most popular names in the British music scene joining forces to produce an album to raise money for the charity.

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Over twenty UK hit artists came together to produce ‘Help!’ in 1995. Including songs from Blur and Oasis – whose “Battle of Britpop” rivalry was a huge pop culture news story at the time – their allegiance in recording the album gained plenty of attention much to the charity’s benefit. They featured in the album alongside The Boo Radleys, The Stone Roses, Orbital, Radiohead, Portishead, Massive Attack, Suede and more.

“It’s the only time you’ll see us agreeing on anything,” said Oasis’ Noel Gallagher in regards to working with Blur for ‘Help!‘. “We put aside our differences for the cause.”

‘Help(2)’ is comprised of 23 songs produced by a genre-diverse lineup of global music icons, from indie rock legends Arctic Monkeys to alternative pop-princess Olivia Rodrigo and many more big names. The contributing musicians began recording over a week in November 2025 at Abbey Road studios, birthplace of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together‘ and Pink Floyd’s ‘The Great Gig In The Sky‘ – along with many other globally acclaimed records. A few singles were released to promote the second charity volume, including Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Opening Night’ which gained 15 million streams on Spotify. The full album has been released today and is available on streaming services and to purchase at www.warchild.org.

The 1995 album was a hit, raising £1.25 million for War Child. Although there is concern for streaming platforms having overtaken album purchases significantly, Rich Clarke from War Child UK has ensured that rights and royalties will be donated to the charity. The album would need to reach 400 million streams to reach that figure. Merchandise has also been created to help raise money, including a Vinyl, T-shirts and a CD that includes an exclusive bonus Oasis live recording.

Help(2) Double LP and Exclusive 7″ Vinyl of ‘Acquiesce (Live From Wembley)’ By Oasis. Available to buy at https://store.warchild.org.uk/

Producer James Ford has curated an album that’s good for the cause as it for the ears, described as an “intriguing mix of strikingly fresh covers and affecting originals” by album critic Matthew Davies Lombardi (DIY Magazine). The array of musicians and their diverse sounds uniting in aid of War Child gives something for everyone to enjoy, from the music itself to the consequential support given by enjoying it.

“30 years ago, today and, no doubt, 30 years from now, the message remains clear and universal – no child should ever be part of war. Ever.” – DIY Magazine.

The exciting new track list for ‘Help(2)‘ can be seen below.

Side A

1. Arctic Monkeys – Opening Night

2. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest - Flags

3. Black Country, New Road – Strangers

4. The Last Dinner Party – Let’s do It Again!

5. Beth Gibbons – Sunday Morning

Side B

6. Arooj Aftab & Beck – Lilac Wine

7. King Krule – The 343 Loop

8. Depeche Mode - Universal Soldier

9. Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng - Helicopters

10. Arlo Parks – Nothing I Could Hide

11. English Teacher & Graham Coxon - Parasite

12. Beabadoobee – Say Yes

Side C

13. Big Thief - Relive, Redie

14. Fontaines D.C. - Black Boys On Mopeds

15. Cameron Winter - Warning

16. Young Fathers - Don’t Fight The Young

17. Pulp – Begging For Change

18. Sampha – Naboo

Side D

19. Wet Leg – Obvious

20. Foals – When The War Is Finally Done

21. Bat For Lashes - Carried My Girl

22. Anna Calvi, Dove Ellis, Ellie Rowsell & Nilüfer Yanya - Sunday Light

23. Olivia Rodrigo – The Book of Love

warchild.org.uk

International charity War Child have today revealed a new star-studded music project, a follow-up to 1995’s ‘HELP’, unveiled alongside Arctic Monkeys’ first single in four years. The song ‘Opening Night’, will be in the company of tracks from a broad spectrum of British indie, pop and rock music.

War Child were founded in 1993 to support children dealing with the tragic effects of war, and in 1995 they gathered the day’s biggest musical acts to create the first ‘HELP’ album. The project was supported by British stars like Paul McCartney, Blur, Radiohead and Oasis, raising over £1.25 million for War Child’s relief efforts.

As well as further charity album releases, the music wing of War Child has raised awareness through concerts. Aimed at catching some of the spotlight on British music cast by the BRIT Awards, the shows generate attention for more serious matters and raise significant funds. It was through one of these shows that they first began a partnership with Arctic Monkeys. Their 2018 show at the Royal Albert Hall was a roaring success, and between takings on the night and sales of the recording’s release, it raised over £250,000 for War Child.

Arctic Monkeys, formed in Sheffield in 2002, have been one of the most important bands in the UK’s indie rock scene since the beginning of the millennium. However, following the release of 2022 album ‘The Car’, and a headlining slot at 2023’s Glastonbury festival, they have made no announcements nor released any music.

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Suspense has been building up for their return since the mysterious creation of the “War Child Records” social media account at the start of January. There were clear signs that both Arctic Monkeys, and their producer James Ford would be involved in the then-unconfirmed project. Earlier this week, the account declared that the first single from the project would indeed be by Arctic Monkeys, and it would premiere at 3PM today, Thursday the 22nd of January.

So now, the new single has debuted and it was well worth the wait. ‘Opening Night’ is a sombre, lonely desert-rock tune, reminiscent of bluesy hits by US band Eagles. The lyrics are very deep, with serious weight put towards the theme of the album and War Child project, and the haunting, fuzzy twangs of the guitars echo eerily throughout the piece.

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The full album ‘HELP(2)’ boasts a who’s-who of the UK music scene, with long-term legends like Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Blur bandmate Graham Coxon, Johnny Marr, Depeche Mode, and Pulp, alongside current stars such as Beabadoobee and Foals. The project also drew in international talent including Beck, Geese frontman Cameron Winter, and Olivia Rodrigo. James Ford, who also produces for several of the other acts involved, served as Executive Producer for the full album, which was recorded in conjunction with Abbey Road Studios.

‘HELP(2)’ releases in physical and digital formats on the 6th of March, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s continued efforts to protect children from the fallout of conflict. The full list of artists and tracks can be found on the album pre-order site here, and you can pre-save ‘HELP(2)’ on streaming platforms here.

It’s been 30 years since international charity War Child first released their historic fundraising album ‘Help’. Now, due to a cryptic new social media account, suspense is mounting for an exciting new iteration which may or may not be under development.

War Child, who were founded to aid children suffering the after-effects of global conflicts, originated in 1993, when filmmakers David Wilson and Bill Leeson, alongside social entrepreneur Willemijn Verloop, travelled to what was then Yugoslavia during the civil war. Their website draws parallels to the current conflict in Ukraine, where Russia’s invasion has destroyed the lives of so many children and families.

In 1995, they united many of the biggest artists of the time to record ‘The HELP Album’. The record features performances by Paul McCartney, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, and Paul Weller, as well as collaborative tracks involving several of the aforementioned stars. The album raised £1.25 million for the charity, and left a strong legacy, leading to sequel ‘Help! A Day In The Life’ to be released 10 years later in 2005. This time they brought through new talent, with the likes of Coldplay, Elbow, and Bloc Party joining up, while Blur’s Damon Albarn returned with then-new project Gorillaz.

Aside from other charity albums, War Child have also worked with artists to set up concerts to raise money and spread awareness. These shows were often timed to coincide with the BRIT Awards, where the spotlight would be most firmly on British music. Famous collaborators include Ed Sheeran, Muse, and Florence + The Machine. By far the biggest and most successful event was Arctic Monkeys’ 2018 show at the Royal Albert Hall. This night generated at least £250,000 for the charity, with the recording being released in 2020 also donating all proceeds to War Child.

Earlier this week, a mysterious new Instagram page, named “War Child Records” was created, posting one singular item – an announcement that “There is a group of artists who are working on something important in support of War Child.”

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Digging deeper, the account follows only 12 other profiles, most notably The Last Dinner Party, Fontaines D.C., Pulp, Beck, Damon Albarn, and Arctic Monkeys. Typically social media following can be used to infer some interesting things, for example here it suggests that these artists will be involved in this new project, with several of them being past alumni of other War Child projects. Also in the list is producer James Ford, who  shared the post on his account, providing more evidence that he will be involved in the mix.

The band drawing particular attention from this development is Arctic Monkeys, who haven’t released new music since LP ‘The Car’ in 2022, and have mostly been flying under the radar since their Friday headline set at 2023’s Glastonbury Festival. With a fanbase desperate for any new material, their social media following have gone wild with anticipation since drummer Matt Helders shared the War Child Records post, a likely indicator of their involvement.

With the rumour mill churning away, War Child Records have shared a link on their page which when clicked, displays a message starting with “JANUARY 2026”, and a button to sign up to a newsletter for further announcements. Whether this will be a full LP, a relief concert or something else remains to be seen, but we may get an announcement before the end of the month.

“Amanda [Blank] and I are doing everything we can personally and privately to help, but in order to do more and shed some light on the organisations doing so much to help, I’m gonna do a limited run on @cameo and donate all proceeds to @daylaborernetwork a community that inspires me and I admire very much.”

He shared a link to his Cameo page underneath, which can be accessed here. Cameo is a website that allows fans to request personalized videos of their favourite celebrities for a price – other stars on the platform include Ne-Yo, Flava Flav, Tommy Lee and Dionne Warwick.

The wildfires, which began last Tuesday (January 7), are the most destructive LA has ever seen. There have been 24 confirmed deaths, and 180,000 residents have been evacuated as 12,000 buildings have been destroyed by the blazes. The fires are reported to be the costliest in US history, with over $200 billion worth of damage estimated.

Some notable musicians have lost their homes, including Jhene Aiko, Madlib, Harry Mack, Iron Maiden guitarist Adam Smith, Harry Mack and Diane Warren.

A few prominent artists have donated to relief efforts for the fires. Beyonce has announced that BeyGOOD, the singer’s non-profit charity, has donated $2.5 million to aid relief efforts and assist those impacted by the fires. Metallica have also announced that they have donated $500,000 to relief efforts, through their All Within My Hands Foundation.

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Some music companies have also taken action to aid charities and organizations dealing with the fires and their fallout. Amazon has pledged $10 million to various funds and charities. Sony has provided a $5 million donation to organizations supporting first responders, community relief and rebuilding efforts.

Musical instrument retailer Guitar Center has also announced a new program to help musicians affected by the wildfires, providing local musicians special one-time grants to replace their destroyed instruments and gear.

Provided by Digital Music News, here is a list of organizations providing relief for LA musicians.

The annual Mercury Prize awards ceremony took place this week on Thursday 7th September at the Hammersmith Apollo London. The ceremony acknowledges the best of British music with their prestigious award for Album Of The Year, alongside a £25,000 prize.

Previous winners of the highly-respected award include Wolf Alice, Dave, Skepta, James Blake, and Little Simz, who took home last year’s prize with the album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.

This year’s winners were Ezra Collective, with their 2022 album Where I’m Meant To Be, however they faced some stiff competition being shortlisted with other UK acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Loyle Carner, RAYE and Jessie Ware.

The full list of nominees for the 2023 Mercury Prize were:

• The Car by Arctic Monkeys
• Where I’m Meant to Be by Ezra Collective
• Actual Life 3 by Fred Again
• Beautiful and Brutal Yard by J Hus
• That! Feels Good! by Jessie Ware
• I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap
• False Lankum by Lankum
• Hugo by Loyle Carner
• Messy by Olivia Dean
• My 21st Century Blues by Raye
• Nymph by Shygirl
• Heavy Heavy by Young Fathers

Jessie Ware was nominated for her 5th studio album That! Feels Good!, which was released on April 28th of this year. The album includes singles such as “Pearls”, “Begin Again”, “Freak Me Now”, and the LP’s debut single “Free Yourself”, which the 38 year old performed live at the Mercury Prize ceremony.

Many of the other shortlisted acts performed on the Hammersmith Apollo stage, including RAYE, Shygirl, and 2023 winners Ezra Collective.

That! Feels Good! saw Jessie Ware achieve her highest placement on the American Top Album Sales chart, with the record peaking at number 16 for one week. Moreover, in the UK Albums Chart, the London-born singer celebrated her second top 3 entry, with the first being 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure?.

In July, Ware delighted fans with a new version of her song “Freak Me Now” that featured pop singer Roisin Murphy. The single was produced by electronic musician and DJ Stuart Price, who has produced for many artists including Madonna, The Killers, Gwen Stefani and more.

Jessie Ware will be hitting the road at the end of this year to promote That! Feels Good!. You can purchase tickets for the upcoming tour here.

Tour dates:

10/11/2023 – Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, UK

11/11 – Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, UK

13/11 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow, UK

14/11 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow, UK

17/11 – Alexandra Palace – London, UK

18/11 – Alexandra Palace – London, UK

The Mercury Prize is a £25,000 prize that celebrates the best of British and Irish music and has become a well-known and prestigious award for both established and up and coming artists. Previous winners include Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in da Corner and Primal Scream’s Screamadelica.

The 2023 Mercury Prize ceremony took place on Thursday 7th September at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Ezra Collective were one of 12 nominees for the 2023 Album of the Year award, and were up against acts such as Arctic Monkey’s, Fred Again.., Loyle Carner, RAYE and more.

When accepting the award, Ezra Collective drummer Femi Koleoso said “First of all, let me thank God because if a jazz band winning the Mercury Prize doesn’t make you believe in God, I don’t know what will”

“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.”

You can watch Ezra Collective’s acceptance speech below:

Where I’m Meant To Be spans many genres including Jazz, Afrobeat and Funk. Many artists featured on this Ezra Collective LP, including Emeli Sande, Sampa the Great, 2022 Mercury Prize nominee Kojey Radical, and 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen.

Ezra Collective’s debut album You Can’t Steal My Joy was released in 2019, and due to the Coronavirus pandemic, live shows and touring for the 5-piece were limited. Their sophomore, and now award winning, release was written during the 2o2o lockdown. Much to fans delight, Ezra Collective made an electric return to the stage and performed their song “Victory Dance” at this year’s Mercury Prize ceremony.

Other performers at this year’s Mercury Prize included nominees Young Fathers, RAYE, and Jessie Ware. Whilst not all nominees perform at the awards ceremony, all acts receive a trophy in recognition of their achievement.

The full list of nominees for the 2023 Mercury Prize were:

• The Car by Arctic Monkeys
• Where I’m Meant to Be by Ezra Collective
• Actual Life 3 by Fred Again
• Beautiful and Brutal Yard by J Hus
• That! Feels Good! by Jessie Ware
• I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap
• False Lankum by Lankum
• Hugo by Loyle Carner
• Messy by Olivia Dean
• My 21st Century Blues by Raye
• Nymph by Shygirl
• Heavy Heavy by Young Fathers

Arctic Monkeys claim their fifth nomination for the Mercury Prize for there 7th album The Car, making them joint most nominated artists in the award history along side Radiohead.

A popular fan favourite single from the album The Car by Arctic Monkeys “There better be a mirror ball.”  along with singles such as “Perfect sense” and “Hello you” could see a second time win for the band.

Mercury Prize Awards celebrates its 32nd year, although last years show was cancelled out of respect, for Queen Elizabeth’s II death.

This years show will go ahead in all its glory on September 7th at 9pm and will be played on BBC 4 and on iPlayer, along with full coverage, from BBC Radio 6, as well as all BBC online and social media outlets. Showcasing some amazing artists, and their latest albums, viewers and listeners will have a whole host of talent to look forward to.

London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, will hold this years award show and tickets are available to purchase. Hosting this years Mercury Awards is DJ and Television presenter Lauren Laverne. There is no further announcement as to whether she will have a guest presenter along side her.

Each performer announced will feature 10 live and two pre-recorded performances at the award show; however, both Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again will be touring in September and unable to attend this years show. Instead, a special film will be shown, to celebrate both of their award nominated albums.

Mercury awards see’s four nominations for the second time, from acts Jhus, Loyle Carner, Young Father and Jessie Ware.

Jessie Ware on release of her album That! Feels Good! which is the title track to the first song, wrote on her official Instagram page to say, “This album is no longer mine, its all yours!”

Jessie Ware in an interview with NME, commented on how she felt to be nominated for her album That! Feels Good!, a decade on since her last Mercury nomination. She said, “It’s nice to see brilliant artists and lovely to be amongst them. It’s amazing to be up for my second Mercury a decade on, and I feel proud of myself.”

This highly sort after award has previously been won by the likes of Portishead in 1995 with their album Dummy, Badly Drawn Boy in 2000 with album The Hour of Bewilderbeast and Arctic Monkeys in 2006 with album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

Mercury Prize Award has no categories, and is open to all musical genres, with 12 shortlisted ‘Album of the Year’ with 1 winner. The artist to win the award will take home, not only the ‘Album of the Year’ trophy, but also a cash prize of £25,000 pounds. Not to mention blow up their social media and public awareness.

Spanning twelve tracks and coming in at just under 32 minutes, the band’s sixth studio LP boasts all the ingredients of a classic punk record: short but sweet, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons doesn’t muck about or take itself too seriously, prioritising raw energy over flashy embellishments. This back-to-basics approach is where The Hives’ appeal lies; never ones to shy away from the more wacky aspects of rock, the group have always exhibited a fun-loving attitude their audiences find irresistible.

Listen to “Bogus Operandi“:

The new album, however, comes at a loss: Randy Fitzsimmons, the band’s mysterious fictional mentor and sole songwriter, has apparently died. This new development in the self-scribed Hives backstory sees the limelight-shunning Fitzsimmons helping out beyond the grave, providing the remaining members with demo tapes, fresh suits and a title for the new record.

In honour of his memory, and to celebrate the release of The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, The Hives recently performed a ceremonial gig at London’s Rough Trade East – the iconic independent  record shop and live music venue that has been hosting legendary shows since its 2007 opening – where they gave their sixth member a proper send-off. 

In true Hives fashion, the band pulled up outside the store in a customised hearse – complete with coffin and decorative flowers – in order to pay their respects to a man they claim to owe their entire discography to, before taking to the Rough Trade stage and bashing out their classic concoction of rock and roll swagger. The group then bid their final farewells in similar fashion at Banquet Records a day later. 

Check out The Hive’s unusual Rough Trade East entrance below:

@the.hives chat is this real? have they died? #thehives #thedeathofrandyfitzsimmons #rock #funeral ♬ original sound – monkemanpoo

The Hives first crashed onto the scene during the short-lived garage rock revival of the early 2000s, which saw rough-and-ready guitar bands such as The Strokes, The White Stripes and The Libertines achieve mainstream success with a gritty, punk-inspired sound. By the time The Hives had landed their first major hit with “Hate To Say I Told You So”, the group had been going for eight years.

Since then, they have sold out stadiums and shared stages with everyone from AC/DC to The Rolling Stones. Spin dubbed The Hives “the best live band on the planet” and Howlin’ Pelle, their lead singer, “one of the greatest frontmen in rock”, while the BBC described them as “a force of nature”.
The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons marks the long-awaited return for a group that has most recently been making waves as the frenetic support act for Arctic Monkeys on their European arena tour.

Next year, The Hives take their own show to 12 cities across the UK and Ireland.
See below for dates:

27/03/2024 – Leeds Academy – Leeds
28/03 – City Hall – Newcastle
29/03 – Rock City – Nottingham
30/03 – The Halls – Wolverhampton
01/04 – Barrowland – Glasgow
02/04 – O2 Academy – Bristol
03/04 – Brighton Dome – Brighton
05/04 – Great Hall – Cardiff
06/04 – Manchester Academy – Manchester
08/04 – Olympia – Dublin
10/04 – The LCR – Norwich
13/04 – Eventim Apollo – London

Get tickets here.

Listen to The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons here.

The Car is shortlisted for the 2023 @MercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/nBoCgwAed1

— Arctic Monkeys (@ArcticMonkeys) July 27, 2023

While Radiohead, arguably one of the UK’s biggest and most popular acts in recent decades, has never won the prestigious award, Arctic Monkeys have taken the prize home on one occasion so far-winning for their debut effort Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not in 2006. Although The Car has seen the band drift further away from their indie rock roots, the album has nevertheless earned the group plenty of plaudits from critics.

Primarily written by frontman Alex Turner, the album features an eclectic mix of genres that has already seen the work nominated for several awards, including a Grammy and Ivor Novello Award. Fears of a fan backlash were largely unfounded as The Car reached the top ten UK album charts, debuting at number 2. And the group can now add a Mercury Prize nomination to the album’s already impressive run of industry nods.

Arctic Monkeys have supported the album’s release with a global tour which included a successful run of stadium performances in the UK and Ireland and a headlining slot at this summer’s Glastonbury Festival. Set to wrap in October this year, the tour has been notable for featuring lesser known songs in the setlist, giving a broader range of material the chance to thrive in a live setting.

Founded as an alternative to the Brit Awards, The Mercury Prize has become one of Britain’s most cherished music achievement honours. Open to any band containing at least 50% British or Irish membership, the prize seeks to reward the best studio album released in the United Kingdom. The award is bestowed purely upon musical merit, regardless of how successful or popular the artist was in the previous year.

In the award’s 31 year history, PJ Harvey holds the record for being the only artist to have won the award on more than one occasion, having taken home the prize twice in 2001 and 2011 respectively. Arctic Monkeys will be hoping to become only the second artist to accomplish this feat with The Car.

Introducing the artists on the Shortlist for the 2023 Mercury Prize with @FreeNow_UK! @ArcticMonkeys@EzraCollective@fredagainagain1@jhus@JessieWare@jockstrapmusic1@LankumDublin@LoyleCarner@oliviadeano@raye@0800shygirl@Youngfathers#MercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/tw8UQzp5Zx

— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) July 27, 2023

While open to all genres, the prize has been noted by some critics for the absence of bands within the metal subgenre, although rock groups are included in this year’s shortlist.

This year’s ceremony judges will consist of music journalists, presenters, artists and broadcasters and will be held at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London on 7 September. The event will be shown live across the BBC’s TV and radio stations.

The ceremony, which takes place on Thursday, 17 September, will honour the best British or Irish album released in the past year and provide the usual musical spectacle with live performances from many of the nominated artists and bands.

The first name on the 2023 shortlist is Arctic Monkeys, who claim a fifth nomination for their latest LP The Car – making them the joint most-nominated act in Mercury history alongside Radiohead. While Alex Turner and co. previously landed the award for their breakout album Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not in 2007, Radiohead have never won.

Listen to “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” from The Car:

The Sheffield band’s rivals this year include four second-time nominees: Loyle Carner, J Hus, Young Fathers and Jessie Ware – the latter of whom received her first Mercury recognition in 2012. Ware’s fifth studio album That! Feels! Good! was met with universal acclaim, impressing critics and earning her a second top-three entry on the UK Albums Chart.

Listen to “Free Yourself” from That! Feels! Good!:

Meanwhile, Shygirl, Olivia Dean, Raye and experimental pop duo Jockstrap – whose latest studio effort I Love You Jennifer B claimed a top-ten position on both BrooklynVegan and Clash’s end of year lists – make their Mercury debut.

Other nominations include Fred Again.. with Actual Life 3, jazz ensemble Ezra Collective with Where I’m Meant To Be and the Mercury’s infamous “token” folk nomination – False Lankum by Irish group Lankum, whose new album has been hailed as the OK Computer of modern folk.

Listen to “Go Dig My Grave” from False Lankum:

While Raye’s inclusion on the shortlist brings the most vindication after her 2021 departure from Polydor and subsequent self-release of My 21st Century Blues, Fred Again..’s nomination has left bemusement in its wake, with the Independent describing his selection as “part of a long Mercury Prize tradition of championing at least one eye-rollingly bad album each year”.

A whole number of major pop acts didn’t make the final twelve, with Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, The 1975, Gorillaz, Lewis Capaldi and Rina Sawayama all missing out on nominations for their eligible albums. Little Simz, who won the award last year after beating stiff competition from the likes of Harry Styles and Sam Fender, also wasn’t shortlisted for her new album No Thank You.

See the full list of nominations below:

Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Ezra Collective – Where I’m Meant to Be
Fred Again.. – Actual Life 3
J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
Lankum – False Lankum
Loyle Carner – Hugo
Olivia Dean – Messy
Raye – My 21st Century Blues
Shygirl – Nymph
Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy

Check out the official shortlist here.