This year’s shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize for album of the year have been unveiled and apparently it showcasses a “wonderful variety of musical voices, emotions and ambitions”, so says Simon Frith, Chair of Judges.

“There are eight debut albums on the list and four albums from more established artists. The sheer range of music here celebrates the abiding ability of British musicians to find new ways to explore traditional themes of love and loss while making an exhilarating soundtrack for life in 2012′” he added.

The shortlist is as follows:-

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

The overall winner of the 2012 Prize will be announced at the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show at the Roundhouse on Thursday 1 November 2012.

Who’s your money on?