Edinburgh band Young Fathers shortlisted for Mercury Music prize alongside Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again

Young Fathers have been honoured on the shortlist for the 2023 Mercury Album of the Year prize.

The Edinburgh band’s fourth release, entitled ‘Heavy, Heavy’, has been named alongside Arctic Monkeys’ ‘The Car’ and DJ Fred Again’s Actual Life 3 among the 12-strong nominations celebrating the best of British and Irish music.

The trio, made up of Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham ‘G’ Hastings, have already won the award once, scooping the gong for 2014’s ‘Dead’.

They could become the first artists since PJ Harvey in 2001 and 2011 to win the prestigious award twice.

The shortlist also features a host of first-time nominees, including Raye, with her debut album My 21st Century Blues which features her number one single Escapism.

It follows a year of success for the singer-songwriter who also won the award for best contemporary song at the Ivor Novello Awards.

London-born singer Jessie Ware with her 2022 album That! Feels Good!, which peaked in the UK albums chart at number three and rapper Loyle Carter are also among the nominees.

Rapper J Hus is on the shortlist with his album Beautiful And Brutal Yard, alongside Where I’m Meant To Be by the Ezra Collective and the debut album Messy from singer-songwriter Olivia Dean.

The debut from UK duo Jockstrap titled I Love You Jennifer B is also in the running for the prize, with Irish folk group Lankum’s album False Lankum, and album Nymph from rapper and singer Shygirl.