![You Me At Six - Sinners Never Sleep: No, wait, come back. Look back through the Mercury Music Prize nominees and you soon realise that some absolute stinkers have made the grade. For every Arctic Monkeys there's a nomination for The View. Jesus, M People won the thing in 1994. With that in mind, it only seems fair that the Prize acknowledges that many of the finest metal/ rock bands in the world come from these shores and that they deserve a little recognition. It seems wrong that a band the size of You Me At Six are basically told their music is not worthwhile whilst Speech Debelle has a winners trophy gathering dust on her mantelpiece. David Renshaw]()
You Me At Six - Sinners Never Sleep: No, wait, come back. Look back through the Mercury Music Prize nominees and you soon realise that some absolute stinkers have made the grade. For every Arctic Monkeys there's a nomination for The View. Jesus, M People won the thing in 1994. With that in mind, it only seems fair that the Prize acknowledges that many of the finest metal/ rock bands in the world come from these shores and that they deserve a little recognition. It seems wrong that a band the size of You Me At Six are basically told their music is not worthwhile whilst Speech Debelle has a winners trophy gathering dust on her mantelpiece. David Renshaw
![Clock Opera - Ways To Forget: Indie bands are looking likely to do well in this year''s awards with the likes of Alt-J, Django Django and many more tipped for nomination. Slipping under the radar slightly in the predictions are Clock Opera, whose debut album is a truly epic collection of ambitious, soaring indie anthems. Hated by NME (who called the album ''a waste of a beard'') and less furiously praised than other new guitar bands in 2012, Clock Opera are a band who could truly benefit from the exposure that a Mercury nomination could offer. Michael Baggs]()
Clock Opera - Ways To Forget: Indie bands are looking likely to do well in this year''s awards with the likes of Alt-J, Django Django and many more tipped for nomination. Slipping under the radar slightly in the predictions are Clock Opera, whose debut album is a truly epic collection of ambitious, soaring indie anthems. Hated by NME (who called the album ''a waste of a beard'') and less furiously praised than other new guitar bands in 2012, Clock Opera are a band who could truly benefit from the exposure that a Mercury nomination could offer. Michael Baggs
![Bloc Party - Four: Four years on and Bloc Party finally gave us what we wanted - which wasn''''t much - a new album, aptly Four. After the ''Flux'' band''s separation and frontman Kele''s solo project (which in fairness was, we have to say, pretty good) thank goodness the London band have seen sense and delivered this beauty of a record. Packed full with all the tomfoolery and charm their first two records had with a harder, dirtier sound, ''Four'' has did not disappoint and deserves to be widely celebrated. Catherine Elliot]()
Bloc Party - Four: Four years on and Bloc Party finally gave us what we wanted - which wasn''''t much - a new album, aptly Four. After the ''Flux'' band''s separation and frontman Kele''s solo project (which in fairness was, we have to say, pretty good) thank goodness the London band have seen sense and delivered this beauty of a record. Packed full with all the tomfoolery and charm their first two records had with a harder, dirtier sound, ''Four'' has did not disappoint and deserves to be widely celebrated. Catherine Elliot
![Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow: Can a festive/seasonal album win the Mercury Music Prize? Kate Bush certainly has the stature among critics, and judging by the sheer level of acclaim for this album, even by her own past standards, she surely has a much better shot than most would with a concept album featuring Stephen Fry making up words for snow. '50 Words for Snow' may make a little less sense as the festival season comes to a close, but as the nights start to draw in, you can bet that many will be returning to this album to warm their cockles, year after year. The music is spacious yet lush; emotive yet not wholly organic. It sounds timeless, essentially, much like Bush, who at the age of 54 shows she is as technically gifted with electronics as any of today's young musicians. A national treasure indeed. Michael Holder]()
Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow: Can a festive/seasonal album win the Mercury Music Prize? Kate Bush certainly has the stature among critics, and judging by the sheer level of acclaim for this album, even by her own past standards, she surely has a much better shot than most would with a concept album featuring Stephen Fry making up words for snow. '50 Words for Snow' may make a little less sense as the festival season comes to a close, but as the nights start to draw in, you can bet that many will be returning to this album to warm their cockles, year after year. The music is spacious yet lush; emotive yet not wholly organic. It sounds timeless, essentially, much like Bush, who at the age of 54 shows she is as technically gifted with electronics as any of today's young musicians. A national treasure indeed. Michael Holder
![Jessie Ware - Devotion: Jessie Ware ticks a lot of the boxes Mercury judges tend to look to in their selections and it would be a surprise if Devotion was not included in the shortlist when it is announced on Wednesday (Sept 12). Critically adored and making music that has a foot in the future but its heart beating loudly in the past, Jessie could be the dark horse to take the prize home overall when the winner is announced later in the year. David Renshaw]()
Jessie Ware - Devotion: Jessie Ware ticks a lot of the boxes Mercury judges tend to look to in their selections and it would be a surprise if Devotion was not included in the shortlist when it is announced on Wednesday (Sept 12). Critically adored and making music that has a foot in the future but its heart beating loudly in the past, Jessie could be the dark horse to take the prize home overall when the winner is announced later in the year. David Renshaw
![Bright Light Bright Light - Make Me Believe In Hope: Pop music has taken a turn for the worse in recent years, but London-based singer/songwriter Rod Thomas' debut album is an honest, personal blast of nineties influenced pop which refuses to bow to terrible Top Ten conventions. Packed with potential hit singles, the album is a breath of fresh air in a scene trampled by the likes of Will.i.am and Calvin Harris productions. Tracks such as 'Disco Moment', 'Moves' and 'Love Part II' have more depth than a bucket full of Ne-Yo tunes. Michael Baggs]()
Bright Light Bright Light - Make Me Believe In Hope: Pop music has taken a turn for the worse in recent years, but London-based singer/songwriter Rod Thomas' debut album is an honest, personal blast of nineties influenced pop which refuses to bow to terrible Top Ten conventions. Packed with potential hit singles, the album is a breath of fresh air in a scene trampled by the likes of Will.i.am and Calvin Harris productions. Tracks such as 'Disco Moment', 'Moves' and 'Love Part II' have more depth than a bucket full of Ne-Yo tunes. Michael Baggs
![Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble: Everybody needs to make time for T.E.E.D''s aka Oxford born house producer Orlando Higginbottom''s debut album ''Trouble''. What this record embodies is irresistible to such a diverse range of music fans. The ''Garden'' producer succeeded where so many had failed, successfully wowing dance and indie fans, both of which are notoriously hard nuts to crack. ''Trouble'' serves up just the right blend of character interwoven with hard house beats, and is an incredible feat for a debut and deserves Mercury recognition. Catherine Elliot]()
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble: Everybody needs to make time for T.E.E.D''s aka Oxford born house producer Orlando Higginbottom''s debut album ''Trouble''. What this record embodies is irresistible to such a diverse range of music fans. The ''Garden'' producer succeeded where so many had failed, successfully wowing dance and indie fans, both of which are notoriously hard nuts to crack. ''Trouble'' serves up just the right blend of character interwoven with hard house beats, and is an incredible feat for a debut and deserves Mercury recognition. Catherine Elliot
![Rustie - Glass Swords: Such is the seal of quality of Warp as a label, Rustie's debut was always going to be something very good indeed. Quite how good, was the question, and the Scottish producer's debut album answered affirmatively with a rush of electronic pop capable of filling both dancefloors and bedrooms alike. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the young Russell Whyte, though, is that you sense he is still capable so much more. If he isn't nominated this time, he surely will be in future. Michael Holder]()
Rustie - Glass Swords: Such is the seal of quality of Warp as a label, Rustie's debut was always going to be something very good indeed. Quite how good, was the question, and the Scottish producer's debut album answered affirmatively with a rush of electronic pop capable of filling both dancefloors and bedrooms alike. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the young Russell Whyte, though, is that you sense he is still capable so much more. If he isn't nominated this time, he surely will be in future. Michael Holder
![Four Tet - Pink: OK, so 'Pink' is not the best Four Tet album (though it is brilliant in its own immersive way) but much like how Elbow won the Mercury in 2008 for The Seldom Seen Kid (again not their best) it would be fitting for the Mercury judges to reward Keiran Hebden and his career as a whole. Previous winners The xx, as well as nominees such as Radiohead, Burial and Hot Chip, will all testify as to the immense influence and boundary pushing that Four Tet albums have had on British music, the rewards of which have already been honoured by the Mercury many times over. David Renshaw]()
Four Tet - Pink: OK, so 'Pink' is not the best Four Tet album (though it is brilliant in its own immersive way) but much like how Elbow won the Mercury in 2008 for The Seldom Seen Kid (again not their best) it would be fitting for the Mercury judges to reward Keiran Hebden and his career as a whole. Previous winners The xx, as well as nominees such as Radiohead, Burial and Hot Chip, will all testify as to the immense influence and boundary pushing that Four Tet albums have had on British music, the rewards of which have already been honoured by the Mercury many times over. David Renshaw
![Kindness - World, You Need A Change Of Mind: Kindness' debut album is a ramshackle collection of atmospheric pop tunes, huge soul anthems and Anita Dobson cover versions. In theory it makes no sense, but as a listening experience is one of the year's most brilliantly diverse collections. The dreary album cover is the year's worst, and least representative, album artworks of recent memory however. Michael Baggs]()
Kindness - World, You Need A Change Of Mind: Kindness' debut album is a ramshackle collection of atmospheric pop tunes, huge soul anthems and Anita Dobson cover versions. In theory it makes no sense, but as a listening experience is one of the year's most brilliantly diverse collections. The dreary album cover is the year's worst, and least representative, album artworks of recent memory however. Michael Baggs
![The Maccabees - Given To The Wild: This album hit No.4 in the UK charts this year, and served as living proof that you don''t always have to compromise to gain mass approval. Their third album does show a darker, more grown up side to the Brighton band, but keeps that twee lovability that personifies them so well. From start to finish, Given To The Wild reinstates just what it is that''s good about British indie, at a time where many were struggling to remember. Catherine Elliot]()
The Maccabees - Given To The Wild: This album hit No.4 in the UK charts this year, and served as living proof that you don''t always have to compromise to gain mass approval. Their third album does show a darker, more grown up side to the Brighton band, but keeps that twee lovability that personifies them so well. From start to finish, Given To The Wild reinstates just what it is that''s good about British indie, at a time where many were struggling to remember. Catherine Elliot
![Darren Hayman - Lido: During a year in which many have attempted to capture the meaning of 'Britishness' - whether at Jubilee, Olympic or Paralympic celebrations - little has been said about the smaller aspects of life we take for granted in this country. But the simple things say a great deal about identity, which is exactly what hugely prolific songwriter Darren Hayman has been chronicling for years. This, his first instrumental album, is a typically idiosyncratic ode to open air swimming pools, for instance. For a musician perhaps best known for his wryly observational lyrics, this is a brave step, but the album steers well clear of being wacky or pretentious concept album - it is simply enjoyable, affecting and evocative of its subject. Like Elbow's 2008 win, this may not even be Hayman's best, but he is a talent that deserves wider recognition. Michael Holder]()
Darren Hayman - Lido: During a year in which many have attempted to capture the meaning of 'Britishness' - whether at Jubilee, Olympic or Paralympic celebrations - little has been said about the smaller aspects of life we take for granted in this country. But the simple things say a great deal about identity, which is exactly what hugely prolific songwriter Darren Hayman has been chronicling for years. This, his first instrumental album, is a typically idiosyncratic ode to open air swimming pools, for instance. For a musician perhaps best known for his wryly observational lyrics, this is a brave step, but the album steers well clear of being wacky or pretentious concept album - it is simply enjoyable, affecting and evocative of its subject. Like Elbow's 2008 win, this may not even be Hayman's best, but he is a talent that deserves wider recognition. Michael Holder