O Mercury Prize, anteriormente chamado de Mercury Music Prize, é um prêmio anual de música concedido ao melhor álbum do Reino Unido e Irlanda. Foi estabelecido pela British Phonographic Industry e a British Association of Record Dealers em 1992, como uma alternativa para os Brit Awards. O prêmio foi originalmente patrocinado pela Mercury Communications, uma marca de propriedade da Cable & Wireless, a partir do qual o prêmio recebeu o seu nome. Os patrocinadores incluem: a Technics, entre 1998 a 2001, a Panasonic, em 2002 e 2003, a Nationwide Building Society, de 2004 a 2008, a Barclaycard, de 2009 a 2014, a BBC em 2015, a Hyundai de 2016 a 2021 e a Free Now de 2022 a 2024.
As indicações são escolhidas por um painel de músicos, executivos da música, jornalistas e outras figuras da indústria da música no Reino Unido e Irlanda - os nomes são anunciados em julho. A apresentação do prêmio ocorre geralmente em setembro. É frequentemente observado que as bandas cujos álbuns são nomeados, ou ganham o prêmio, presenciam um grande aumento nas vendas de seus álbuns, principalmente para nomeados menos conhecidos. No entanto, apesar de ser considerado por muitos músicos como de grande prestígio, para outros ter um álbum nomeado pode ser uma maldição sobre sua carreira na música.
O vencedor do prêmio de 1994 foi Slumming pelo grupo pop M People, uma decisão controversa considerando que a lista incluía dos álbuns populares de figuras da Britpop, como Paul Weller, Blur ou Pulp, ou a banda eletrônica The Prodigy .Outros críticos de música afirmaram que o prêmio de 2005 não deveria ter sido dado a Antony and the Johnsons, para o seu álbum I Am a Bird Now, pois, apesar de sua origem britânica, a banda tinha sede nos Estados Unidos. Em 2006, o álbum Ballad of the Broken Seas, de Isobel Campbell com Mark Lanegan, foi incluído na lista, apesar de Lanegan ser americano, enquanto o Guillemots, que também foi indicado, contêm membros com origem no Brasil e no Canadá. Artistas clássicos que tiveram álbuns seus nomeados incluíram Sir John Tavener, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Gavin Bryars e Maw Nicholas .
Até hoje, PJ Harvey é a única artista a ter ganho o prêmio em mais de uma ocasião (em 2001 e 2011). Ela também foi a primeira artista feminina solo a receber o prêmio. O Radiohead foi quem mais indicações recebeu (cinco, no total), embora nunca tenha ganho o Mercury Prize.
Vencedores e Nomeados AnoVencedorNomeadosRef(s)1992 Primal Scream – ScreamadelicaBarry 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 1993 Suede – SuedeApache 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 Plus1994 M People – Elegant SlummingBlur – Parklife Ian McNabb – Head Like A RockShara Nelson – What Silence KnowsMichael Nyman – The Piano Concerto/MGVThe Prodigy – Music for the Jilted GenerationPulp – His 'n' HersTake That – Everything ChangesTherapy? – TroublegumPaul Weller – Wild Wood| align="center"| |- | align="center"|1995 | Portishead – Dummy| Guy Barker – Into the BlueElastica – ElasticaPJ Harvey – To Bring You My LoveLeftfield – LeftismJames MacMillan – Seven Last Words from the CrossVan Morrison – Days Like ThisOasis – Definitely MaybeSupergrass – I Should CocoTricky – Maxinquaye| align="center"| |- | align="center"|1996 | Pulp – Different Class| War Child – HelpBlack Grape – It's Great When You're Straight... YeahPeter Maxwell Davies/BBC Philharmonic – The Beltane Fire / Caroline MathildeManic Street Preachers – Everything Must GoMark Morrison – Return of the MackOasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory?Courtney Pine – Modern Day Jazz StoriesUnderworld – Second Toughest in the InfantsNorma Waterson – Norma Waterson| align="center"| |- | align="center"|1997 | Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms| The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own HoleBeth Orton – Trailer ParkPrimal Scream – Vanishing PointThe Prodigy – The Fat of the LandRadiohead – OK ComputerSpice Girls – SpiceSuede – Coming UpJohn Tavener – SvyatiMark-Anthony Turnage – Your Rockaby| align="center"| |- | align="center"|1998 | Gomez – Bring It On| 4hero – Two PagesAsian Dub Foundation – Rafi's RevengeEliza Carthy – Red RiceCatatonia – International VelvetCornershop – When I Was Born for the 7th TimeMassive Attack – MezzaninePropellerheads – DecksandrumsandrockandrollPulp – This Is HardcoreJohn Surman – Proverbs & SongsThe Verve – Urban HymnsRobbie Williams – Life thru a Lens| align="center"| |- | align="center"|1999 | Talvin Singh – Ok| Thomas Adès – AsylaDenys Baptiste – Be Where You AreBlack Star Liner – Bengali Bantam Youth Experience!Blur – 13The Chemical Brothers – SurrenderFaithless – Sunday 8PMManic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me YoursBeth Orton – Central ReservationKate Rusby – SleeplessStereophonics – Performance and CocktailsUnderworld – Beaucoup Fish| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2000 | Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast| Richard Ashcroft – Alone with EverybodyColdplay – ParachutesM. J. Cole – SincereDeath in Vegas – The Contino SessionsThe Delgados – The Great EasternDoves – Lost SoulsHelicopter Girl – How to Steal the WorldLeftfield – Rhythm and StealthNicholas Maw – Violin ConcertoNitin Sawhney – Beyond SkinKathryn Williams – Little Black Numbers| align="center"| name=pj |- | align="center"|2001 | PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea| Basement Jaxx – RootyElbow – Asleep in the BackGoldfrapp – Felt MountainGorillaz – Gorillaz (nomination withdrawn at the request of the band) Ed Harcourt – Here Be MonstersTom McRae – Tom McRaeRadiohead – AmnesiacSusheela Raman – Salt RainSuper Furry Animals – Rings Around the WorldTurin Brakes – The Optimist LPZero 7 – Simple Things| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2002 | Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper| Guy Barker – SoundtrackThe Bees – Sunshine Hit MeDavid Bowie – HeathenThe Coral – The CoralDoves – The Last BroadcastThe Electric Soft Parade – Holes in the WallGemma Hayes – Night on My SideBeverley Knight – Who I AmRoots Manuva – Run Come Save MeJoanna MacGregor – PlayThe Streets – Original Pirate Material| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2003 | Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner| Athlete – Vehicles and AnimalsEliza Carthy – AnglicanaColdplay – A Rush of Blood to the HeadThe Darkness – Permission to LandFloetry – FloeticSoweto Kinch – Conversations with the UnseenLemon Jelly – Lost HorizonsThe Thrills – So Much for the CityMartina Topley-Bird – QuixoticRadiohead – Hail to the ThiefTerri Walker – Untitled| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2004 | Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand| Basement Jaxx – Kish KashBelle & Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe WaitressJamelia – Thank YouKeane – Hopes and FearsSnow Patrol – Final StrawJoss Stone – The Soul SessionsThe Streets – A Grand Don't Come for FreeTy – UpwardsAmy Winehouse – FrankRobert Wyatt – CuckoolandThe Zutons – Who Killed...... The Zutons?| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2005 | Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now| Bloc Party – Silent AlarmColdplay – X&YHard-Fi – Stars of CCTVKaiser Chiefs – EmploymentKT Tunstall – Eye to the TelescopeM.I.A. – ArularMaxïmo Park – A Certain TriggerPolar Bear – Held on the Tips of FingersSeth Lakeman – Kitty JayThe Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, StrikeThe Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers| align="center"| name="antony" |- | align="center"|2006 | Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not| Isobel Campbell e Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken SeasEditors – The Back RoomGuillemots – Through the WindowpaneRichard Hawley – Coles CornerHot Chip – The WarningMuse – Black Holes & RevelationsZoe Rahman – Melting PotLou Rhodes – Beloved OneScritti Politti – White Bread Black BeerSway – This Is My DemoThom Yorke – The Eraser| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2007 | Amy Winehouse – Back to Black| Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst NightmareBasquiat Strings with Seb Rochford – Basquiat StringsBat for Lashes – Fur and GoldDizzee Rascal – Maths + EnglishMaps – We Can CreateNew Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom Fionn Regan – The End of History Jamie T – Panic Prevention The View – Hats Off to the Buskers Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men | align="center"| |- | align="center"|2008 | Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid | Adele – 19 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? Burial – Untrue Estelle – ShineThe Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the UnderstatementLaura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim'''Neon Neon – Stainless StyleRobert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising SandPortico Quartet – Knee Deep In The North SeaRadiohead – In RainbowsRachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2009 | Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy| Bat for Lashes – Two SunsFlorence and the Machine – LungsFriendly Fires – Friendly FiresGlasvegas – GlasvegasLisa Hannigan – Sea SewThe Horrors – Primary ColoursThe Invisible – The Invisible Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum La Roux – La Roux Led Bib – Sensible Shoes Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men2010 The xx – xxBiffy 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 MorePaul Weller – Wake Up the NationVillagers – Becoming a JackalWild Beasts – Two Dancers| align="center"| |- | align="center"|2011 | PJ Harvey – Let England Shake| Adele – 21Anna Calvi – Anna CalviElbow – Build a Rocket Boys!Everything Everything – Man AliveGhostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy JamGwilym Simcock – Good Days At Schloss ElmauJames Blake – James Blake Katy B – On a Mission King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine Metronomy – The English Riviera Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy2012Alt-J – An Awesome Wave Ben Howard – Every Kingdom Django Django – Django Django Field Music – Plumb Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky's Edge Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough? Sam Lee – Ground of its Own The Maccabees – Given to the Wild Plan B – ill Manors Roller Trio – Roller Trio Jessie Ware – Devotion2013James 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}2014Young 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 Blood2015Benjamin Clementine – At Least for Now Aphex Twin – Syro Gaz Coombes – Matador C Duncan – Architect Eska – Eska Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys Slaves – Are You Satisfied? SOAK – Before We Forgot How to Dream Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool Jamie xx – In Colour2016Skepta – Konnichiwa Anohni – Hopelessness Bat for Lashes – The Bride David Bowie – Blackstar Jamie Woon – Making Time Kano – Made in the Manor Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool Savages – Adore Life The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It The Comet Is Coming – Channel the Spirits2017Sampha - Process Alt-J – Relaxer Blossoms – Blossoms Dinosaur – Together, As One Ed Sheeran – ÷