Mercury Prize: Female artists lead nominations for the first time in history

Female artists and female-fronted bands - like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Porridge Radio - have outnumbered men on the shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize, for the first time in its 29-year history, Sky reports. A total of seven female or female-fronted acts (of 12 nominees) made the 2020 shortlist; the previous highest total was five. In general, this year pop dominated the shortlist, with none left of the field albums.

So, the nominees:

Anna Meredith - ‘FIBS‘

Charli XCX - ‘how i’m feeling now‘

Dua Lipa - ‘Future Nostalgia‘

Georgia - ‘Seeking Thrills‘

Kano - ‘Hoodies All Summer‘

Lanterns on the Lake - ‘Spook the Herd‘

Laura Marling - ‘Song for Our Daughter‘

Michael Kiwanuka - ‘KIWANUKA‘

Moses Boyd - ‘Dark Matter‘

Porridge Radio - ‘Every Bad‘

Sports Team - ‘Deep Down Happy‘

Stormzy - ‘Heavy is the Head‘