Paul McCartney shortlisted for Mercury Prize for first time – joining artists including Olivia Dean, Dave and Raye | Ents & Arts News

He’s won Grammys, Brits and even has an Oscar – now Sir Paul McCartney has a Mercury Prize nomination to add to his list of accolades.

The 84-year-old is among the 12 artists to have made this year’s shortlist for the prestigious music prize, for his 20th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

Despite his extensive back catalogue, it his first ever nomination for the award, which celebrates the 12 best albums of the year and has been running since 1992.

The Beatle joins fellow first-time Mercury Prize nominees Raye, Jade, Dove Ellis and Knats on this year’s shortlist, which was announced by judges at a ceremony in central London on Thursday.

Previous winners Dave and Suede have also made the shortlist this year, along with now four-time nominees Florence And The Machine. Raye, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and Olivia Dean are all shortlisted for the second time.

Completing the shortlist is Help(2), the album recorded to support the War Child charity featuring artists including Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Cameron Winter, Arlo Parks and Fontaines DC. The first album was also shortlisted for the award, in 1996.

McCartney‘s The Boys Of Dungeon Lane became his 24th chart-topping album in the UK after it was released at the end of May.

He becomes one of the oldest musicians to be shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, only pipped by folk star Martin Carthy last year. Now 85, Carthy is just a month older.

It has also been a huge year for Dean, who cleaned up at the Brit Awards and also won her first Grammy, as well as Jade, who has found huge success as a solo star after leaving Little Mix.

Perhaps most notably absent from this year’s list is Lily Allen, whose 2025 album West End Girl was one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed of the year, and led to her recent comeback tour.

Last year’s award was won by singer-songwriter Sam Fender for his third album, People Watching. His second time being nominated, it was a poignant moment for the star as he accepted the prize in his home city, Newcastle, after the ceremony moved out of London for the first time in its history.

Fender later donated his entire £25,000 winnings to support struggling grassroots venues.

Primal Scream’s Screamadelica was the first album ever to win the Mercury Prize when it launched in 1992, with Simply Red’s Stars, U2’s Achtung Baby, and The Jesus And Mary Chain’s Honey’s Dead also among the nominees that year.

The award celebrates music by British and Irish acts and spans a huge range of different musical genres and artists throughout all stages of their careers.

Winners over the years have included Pulp, Franz Ferdinand, Dizzee Rascal, Elbow, Skepta, Dave and Little Simz.

This year’s ceremony returns to Newcastle and will take place at the city’s Utilita Arena on 22 October.