Fontaines D.C. © Theo Cottle
IMRO would like to congratulate Fontaines D.C. on their nomination for the 2025 Mercury Prize album of the year award. The Irish band have been nominated for their release ‘Romance.’
The annual album prize shortlist is chosen “based solely on their musical merit and irrespective of how popular or successful an album or act that has been submitted may have been in the previous calendar year”.
To be eligible for the prize over 50 per cent of a band’s members must be British or Irish, and submissions are made by record labels.
The 2025 Mercury Prize 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
Fontaines D.C.: ‘Romance’
Emma-Jean Thackray: ‘Weirdo’
FKA twigs: ‘EUSEXUA’
CMAT: ‘EURO-COUNTRY’
Jacob Alon: ‘In Limerence’
Joe Webb: ‘Hamstrings & Hurricanes’
Martin Carthy: ‘Transform Me Then Into A Fish’
Pa Salieu: ‘Afrikan Alien’
PinkPantheress: ‘Fancy That’
Pulp: ‘More’
Sam Fender: ‘People Watching’
Wolf Alice: ‘The Clearing’
The winner, to be revealed in October, will receive £25,000 and significant media exposure. Recent winners include English Teacher (2024) Ezra Collective (2023), and Little Simz (2022).
The Awards Show, taking place on Thursday 16th October at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle, will feature live performances from many of the twelve shortlisted artists and the evening will culminate in the announcement of the overall winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize in Newcastle.
The Mercury Prize recognises the best new British & Irish music, celebrating artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres. As an independent arts prize, it champions the album format, acts as a snapshot of the year in music and often provides a major platform for up and coming artists and their musical work. The Prize has been an important milestone in many artists’ journeys, providing a stepping stone to wider success in the UK and Ireland as well as internationally.