Big guns make Mercury list

Two of the biggest names in British music have been nominated for the annual Mercury Music Prize. Both Radiohead, for Hail To The Thief, and Coldplay, for A Rush Of Blood To The Head, are included on the 12-name shortlist for the prestigious gong, announced today.

However, there was no place on the list for another big British band. Blur’s comeback album Think Tank has been well received by the critics, but has not been nominated.

The nominations for Radiohead and Coldplay were widely expected, and bookies William Hill have immediately installed them as joint favourites to win the award, at 4/1.

However, their rivals for the gong need not lose heart. Previous years have seen the favourites for the award passed over in favour of less famous artists. Dublin quintet The Thrills, listed at 6/1 for their summer-pop album So Much For The City and rock newcomers The Darkness, also at 6/1 for their unashamed old-school metal debut Permission To Land, can both be hopeful of success when the winner is announced in September.

This year’s list has a strong London feel, with four capital-based artists, aside from Coldplay, earning nominations. As expected, East London rapper Dizzee Rascal has been listed for debut record Boy In Da Corner, while Deptford indie-rock quartet Athlete and hip-hop duo Floetry have been nominated for Vehicles And Animals and Floetic respectively. London chill-out duo Lemon Jelly have also made the list for their much-lauded Lost Horizons CD.

In the lesser-known section of the list, former Tricky collaborator Martina Topley-Bird has been nominated for Quixotic, a record described as "unexpected and bewitching" by the judging panel. Soul starlet Terri Walker (for Untitled), folk singer Eliza Carthy (for Anglicana) and Birmingham-based jazz artist Soweto Kinch (for Conversations With The Unseen) complete the dozen.

The award ceremony takes place on September 9th. The winner — as previous award recipients Ms Dynamite, PJ Harvey, Ronni Size and Talvin Singh will testify — can expect a healthy sales boost and a brighter patch in the spotlight to go with their trophy.