The full list of nominees for the 2026 Mercury Prize has been announced, with the shortlist including Paul McCartney, RAYE, Olivia Dean and more.

Celebrating the work of both esteemed and emerging artists from U.K and Ireland, the Mercury Prize is awarded annually and recognizes artistic achievement in LPs across a range of genres. Recent winners include Sam Fender (2025), English Teacher (2024), Ezra Collective (2023), Little Simz (2022), and Arlo Parks (2021) The Prize was first awarded in 1992 to Primal Scream for Screamadelica, and winners include collections by Pulp (1996), PJ Harvey (2001, 2011) and Arctic Monkeys (2006).

Among those featured on this year’s 12-strong shortlist are: RAYE for her chart-topping THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE, Olivia Dean for the chart-topping The Art of Loving, and Paul McCartney for his 20th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. It’s the first time that the latter has been nominated for the prize in his storied career.

Completing the lineup is Dave’s The Boy Who Played The Harp; Florence + The Machine’s Everybody Scream; Dove Ellis’ Blizzard; JADE’s THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!; Knats’ A Great Day In Newcastle; Kojey Radical’s Don’t Look Down; Nia Archives’ Emotional Junglist; Suede’s Antidepressants; and War Child compilation HELP(2).

A number of leading artists miss out on the nod, however. Lily Allen’s West End Girl is omitted, as is Lola Young’s I’m Only F****ng Myself‘ Blood Orange’s Essex Honey, The Last Dinner Party’s From The Pyre and Boards of Canada’s Inferno were also not selected for this year’s list.

The prize will be awarded at a ceremony at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Oct. 22. The ceremony moved outside of London for the first time in 2025 with hometown hero Sam Fender collecting the prize for his third album, People Watching, which features his No. 1 hit “Rein Me In.” Fans can purchase tickets for the ceremony, which will include a number of performances by the nominated artists, at the awards’ official website.

Albums released between Aug. 30 2025 and July 17, 2026 were eligible for consideration this year. The 12 shortlisted albums were chosen by an independent judging panel chaired by Jeff Smith, head of music, BBC 6 Music & Radio 2. 

This year’s committee consisted of: Afrodeutsche – composer & DJ; Danielle Perry – broadcaster & writer; Jamie Cullum – musician & broadcaster; Lea Stonhill – music programming consultant; MistaJam – songwriter, DJ & broadcaster; Phil Alexander – creative director, Kerrang!/contributing editor, Mojo; Sian Eleri – broadcaster & DJ; Will Hodgkinson – chief rock & pop critic, The Times; and Sophie Williams – writer & broadcaster.

2026 Mercury Prize nominees:

Dave, The Boy Who Played the Harp
Dove Ellis, Blizzard
Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream
JADE, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Knats, A Great Day In Newcastle
Kojey Radical, Don’t Look Down
Nia Archives, Emotional Junglist
Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving
Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane
RAYE, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE
Suede, Antidepressants
War Child Records, HELP(2)

Shaboozey’s Outlaws era is in full swing, with a new album out Friday (July 31) and a major tour getting underway in September.

Night owls just got a ride with “Cowgirl,” and a good look at Ciara Miller.

Shaboozey stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday evening to perform the lively song in a set dressed up like a faded Wild West saloon, and recreated from the official music video.

Miller, the star of Bravo’s Summer House, appeared in the promo, which was directed by Logan Meis and Shaboozey and dropped last month. For the late night spot, she reprises her “Cowgirl” role, and enjoys a dance with her leading man.

“Cowgirl” is the followup to the April release “Born To Die,” both lifted from Shaboozey’s forthcoming concept album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.

The collection is a Western portrait, a country tale told with Americana, hip-hop, and pop, recounting a “tragic, mythic story of vengeance, love, and transformation,” reads a statement. It’s said to unfold like a Western film, told in chapters with narration, skits, and cinematic transitions.

The main character is Cheri Lee, a woman shaped by violence and driven by loss. On her travels, she falls for an outlaw, which provides her with entry into the world that she’s trying to destroy. It’s complicated, and the story takes a bloody turn, leaving our hero with some big calls to make.

Released through EMPIRE, The Outlaw Cherie Lee is the successor to his breakout 2024 project Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. Shaboozey is responsible for one of the biggest hits of the streaming era with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which set a new benchmark by spending more time at No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart than any song before it and spending 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Shaboozey’s Outlaws Never Die Tour starts Sept. 8 at Arizona Financial Theatre.

Check out his late-night performance of “Cowgirl” below.

Australia’s Wildlands Festival will travel coast-to-coast at year’s end with a bill headlined by John Summit and Skepta.

They’re joined on the lineup by the likes of WORSHIP, in their Australian debut; DJ KI/KI; Disco Lines and many more.

The single-day electronic and dance-leaning show will get underway at Brisbane Showgrounds with a New Year’s Eve party on Thursday, Dec. 31, then crosses the country to Perth — a distance of about 2,700 miles – for a full show Saturday Jan. 2 at Arena Joondalup.

“Both Wildlands events will feature reimagined stage designs and updated site layout,” reads a statement from organizers Untitled Group.

The Sahara Stage returns as an open-air experience with production and a DJ setup built for the southern “summer sky,” the message reads, while the Summit Stage returns as a tented experience with live elements worked in. A new arrival, The Wilds Stage is meant to give concert-goers on-stage access alongside the DJs for “an intimate, up-close experience.”

Dance music festivals are the most numerous, and most popular in Australia’s contemporary festivals landscape, accounting for roughly one-quarter of Australia’s 500-plus fests.

Aussie audiences will get multiple chances to see the likes of Summit, KI/KI and Skepta next summer. They’re all performing at the Beyond the Valley (also produced by Untitled) in Barunah Plains in Victoria, and Lost Paradise (Finely Tuned), presented in Glenworth Valley, New South Wales.

Wildlands is supported by the federal government initiative, Revive Live. The official presale goes on sale Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 6pm local time, and the general on sale starts 24 hours later.

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Wildlands:

Dec. 31, 2026 — Brisbane Showgrounds (Brisbane/Meanjin

Jan, 2, 2027 — Arena Joondalup (Perth/Boorloo)

Full lineup A-Z:

Anetha B2B SPFDJ

Benwal B2B Kyle Starkey

Dean Turnley

Disco Lines 

Ewan McVicar

Frost Children

Funk Tribu

Groove Junction (Perth)

Hamdi

Hannah Laing

John Summit

KI/KI

KT (Perth)

Layton Giordani

Lens

MPH

MYASWRLD (Brisbane)

Nia Archives

nikitasilly (Brisbane)

Oppidan

Overmono

Robert Baxter

Saint Ludo

Skepta

WORSHIP (Australian Exclusive)  

Yikes

Presented by Untitled Group, Beyond The Valley and triple j

The White House has gone on the offensive after Noah Kahan criticized president Donald Trump for using his music in social media propaganda.

The brewing beef stems from the administration’s videos and photos posted to TikTok and Instagram cued to Kahan’s song “American Cars” from his fourth studio album, the Billboard 200 No. 1 LP The Great Divide, all part of an exercise to celebrate Trump’s visit to a Michigan auto plant this week where the POTUS touted cars made in America.

The 29-year-old Vermont-bred singer and songwriter wasn’t thrilled by the situation. “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration,” the “Stick Season” artist wrote write in comments on Instagram, where the sound appears to have been disabled. Kahan’s comment on Monday’s (July 27) post has more than 53,500 likes, and upwards of 840 comments. 

Kahan’s frequent cowriter and the co-author of “American Cars,” guitarist Noah Levine, vented with his own comment on the Instagram post, writing, “You fat f— this song isn’t for you.” Levine’s comment has since been wiped, an action that was spotted my numerous users.

The song, however, continues to accompany the White House TikTok from the event, where it plays as Trump is signing a white Corvette while visiting the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Mich.

Trump’s team isn’t holding back. Kaelan Dorr, who holds several titles with the Trump administration, including principal deputy communications director, retweeted Variety’s post on Kahan’s comments, and offering some of his own. “Symptoms of TDS,” a reference to Trump Derangement Syndrome, “apparently include having a northern attitude.”

It’s worth pointing out that Kahan’s recordings are available for use as part of the public Instagram library following a 2024 pact between the Universal Music Group and Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp).

Kahan is a member of a large, and growing roster of acts who have spoken out against Trump using their music in campaign and administration hype videos, a list that includes Beyoncé, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Jack White/White Stripes, Kenny Loggins, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rihanna.

Surprise! Karol G has a new album ready to go, and it’s dropping next week.

The Latin superstar used the platform of her record-setting concert tonight July 29 at Rogers Stadium in Toronto to announce No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto (“I don’t regret feeling so much”), the followup to 2025’s Tropicoqueta.

The wait should be bearable; No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto will arrive next Friday, Aug, 7 at 12am ET, reps confirm to Billboard.

With her performance at Rogers Stadium, the Colombian singer became the first female solo artist to headline the venue. During the show, she surprised fans by revealing the album’s title and release date, and shared the official cover artwork for the first time on the stadium’s screens. See the cover art below.

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“I have an announcement to share, Toronto, and after this, I have a gift for you, too. I’ve been working on a project for a couple of months,” she told onlookers. “I’ve been locked in for months making new music. For months, I’ve been preparing a segment that will form part of this tour. I want to announce that on August 7, my new album will come out. It’s an album that I can’t wait to sing with all of you. It’s called No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto.” 

The new collection was hiding in plain sight. Karol G released a new single, “Matadora,” on the opening night of her tour, July 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Although the tracklist hasn’t been announced, expect “Matadora” to appear on the new collection.

Produced by Live Nation, Karol is joined by Becky G, Greeicy, and Elena Rose on select dates of Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour, which comes in support of Tropicoqueta, which debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums Chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Also, all 20 songs from the set debuted on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming a first for the artist. 

Next stop: Northwest Stadium this Sunday night (Aug. 2) in Washington, D.C.

There’s no stopping Queen on YouTube.

The British rock juggernaut enters the streaming platform’s Billion Views Club for a second time, as “Don’t Stop Me Now” crosses the threshold this week.

Housed on the 1978 album Jazz, “Don’t Stop Me Now” was a minor U.S. hit on its release as a single the following year, peaking at No. 86 on the Hot 100. On the other side of the Atlantic, the tune crashed the U.K. top 10, peaking at No. 9 on the Official Singles Chart.

In the decades that followed, “Don’t Stop” has enjoyed several new lives through film, TV and ad placements, including commercials for Toyota, Silk almond milk, Amazon, Pfizer, L’Oreal, a trailer for American Idol and the 2004 horror-comedy Shaun Of The Dead.

In 2005, viewers of the British TV show Top Gear ranked “Don’t Stop Me Now” as the “Greatest Driving Song of All Time,” and the following year, pop-rock group McFly topped the U.K. singles chart with a bright cover. Katy Perry, The Vandals and Glee have all covered the cut.

“Don’t Stop Me Now” appears on Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits collection, the all-time best-selling album in the United Kingdom, where it has racked up 1,216 weeks (and counting) in the Official Albums Chart Top 100, and the track enjoyed another burst of energy with the blockbuster success of the Rami Malek-starring Bohemian Rhapsody from 2018, a global sensation that set the high mark for the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.

Queen was first crowned in the Billion Views Club with the music video for their ‘70s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which reached the milestone back in July 2019.

Watch the official music video for Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” below.

UPDATE (July 29): Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. released a statement on Wednesday (July 29) in response to BTS’ decision not to enter their music for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.

“I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both.

“The Grammy organization is here to serve music and all the people who make it. As we continue to expand the reach, our membership and our awards, regardless of geography or language, I want to emphasize that we will continue to listen to the global music community and work to honor and celebrate all the artists whose music moves the world. – Harvey Mason jr, Grammys CEO”

While Mason didn’t mention it in his statement, he and BTS have something in common, at least in terms of Grammy nominations. Both have received exactly five Grammy nods without winning. Mason’s nominations are as a producer of Justin Timberlake’s Justified and the Dreamgirls, Pitch Perfect 2 and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert soundtracks and as a songwriter of Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” BTS’ nominations are detailed below.

PREVIOUSLY (July 29): BTS has announced that they will not be submitting music from their comeback album ARIRANG for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards.

All seven members of the K-pop supergroup — RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook —simultaneously posted an identical statement on their individual Instagram accounts on Wednesday (July 29): “We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” a translation of the message reads. “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”

Their message takes an implicit swipe at the guidelines for the Recording Academy’s newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which was one of five new Grammy categories introduced in June. The group members’ choice to specify both “region” and “language” is relevant, as the category specifies that songs must include “meaningful use” of any Asian language.

Ironically, BTS’s smash English-language hit single “SWIM,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, would have been excluded from this new Asian pop category anyway.

The boycott comes during a banner comeback year for BTS. After completing the group members completed their mandatory military service, they released their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, in March 2026. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, marking the biggest opening week for a group album in more than a decade.

BTS has received five Grammy nominations, including three consecutive nominations in the high-profile best pop duo/group performance category, for “Dynamite” (2021), “Butter” (2022) and “My Universe,” the latter a collab with Coldplay (2023). In 2023, the group received two other nominations: album of the year as a featured artist on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres and best music video for “Yet to Come.”

BTS’ decision not to enter its music is a blow to the Grammys’ prestige, but the biggest impact could be the Grammy telecast losing a powerhouse draw. The group has performed on the Grammy telecast twice; it contributed a remote performance from a Seoul skyscraper in 2021 and a live, spy-themed rendition of “Butter” in Las Vegas in 2022.

Other artists have declined to submit their music for Grammy consideration, often in reaction to what they saw as snubs, including Drake, The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen.

Some have criticized the new best Asian pop music performance category, which sits in the Pop & Dance/Electronic Field, fearing that it will lock Asian acts into a subcategory and deny them the opportunity to compete in the higher-profile General Field categories or in pop performance categories. The former fear is unfounded. All artists from all genres can compete in the General Field categories, which include album, record and song of the year and best new artist.

But it is true that a specific recording can compete in only one performance category. If a recording is entered for best Asian pop music performance, it cannot be entered for, say, best pop duo/group performance. The same act can, however, be nominated in multiple performance categories with different recordings.

K-pop achieved its first-ever Grammy win earlier this year when “Golden” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters won best song written for visual media. The song was also nominated for song of the year but did not win.

The Recording Academy’s description of the new award, in full, reads:

“This category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances. Eligible recordings include contemporary popular music originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.

“Asian pop is a distinct and globally recognized form of popular music characterized by its integrated approach to music, performance, and presentation. Eligible recordings typically feature melody-driven composition, mainstream pop songwriting, and commercially oriented production, as recognized within their respective markets, and may incorporate elements of pop-adjacent styles such as pop-rock, pop R&B, and other related forms. Recordings in this category are often characterized by genre-blending arrangements, layered production, and dynamic structural shifts designed to support both audio and performance-based delivery.

“Recordings must feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. An Asian language should play a significant role within the song in bilingual or multilingual structures such that the recording is identifiable with that language. Recordings performed entirely in an Asian language are eligible. Incidental or minimal use (e.g., isolated words, adlibs, or brief phrases) does not qualify. Recordings performed entirely in English are not eligible in this category and remain eligible in other appropriate categories.

“The musical style is determinative of eligibility, not the ethnicity or nationality of the performer(s).

“Other popular music forms which originate in Asia or the Asian diaspora but do not meet the genre criteria for this category are eligible in other categories as appropriate.

“Only one version of a recording is eligible in a performance category in any year. A recording which is eligible and entered in another performance category is not also eligible in Best Asian Pop Music Performance for a different version featuring an Asian language performance.

“Nominees are Artist(s).

“Grammy statuettes awarded to Artist(s).”

There is recent precedent for tracks to win both in General Field categories (such as record and song of the year) and genre-specific categories. In 2019, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” won best rap/sung performance as well as record and song of the year. In 2022, Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” won in two R&B categories as well as record and song of the year.

Earlier this year, Bad Bunny made history when Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first all-Spanish-language album to win album of the year. It also won best música urbana album. Of Bunny’s six 2026 nominations, four were in genre-neutral categories and two were in genre-specific categories. Of his three wins, one was in a genre-neutral category and two were in genre-specific categories.

The latest offering from Disney’s fruitful fantasy franchise Descendants casts a spell on the charts, as the Descendants: Wicked Wonderland soundtrack debuts on multiple rankings (dated Aug. 1). The film, which premiered on Disney Channel July 16 and hit the Disney+ streaming service a day later, is the sequel to Descendants: The Rise of Red (2024) and the fifth film in the Descendants series.

The new musical fantasy comedy movie stars Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker, and was directed by Kimmy Gatewood. Also on board in the cast and on the soundtrack: Billboard chart-toppers Brandy and Rita Ora, who play Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, respectively, in the film.

On the Kid Albums chart, Wicked Wonderland debuts at No. 1 and is the fifth leader from the Descendants world.

Kid Albums ranks the week’s most popular kid albums in the United States, by equivalent album units, according to Luminate. The latest chart reflects the tracking week ending July 23.

Meanwhile, on the Soundtracks chart the new album starts at No. 2, following four No. 1 debuts for the series.

On the Billboard 200, the new album enters at No. 88, marking the fifth from the Descendants-verse series to start in the top half of the chart. The first three soundtracks (in 2015, 2017 and 2019) all debuted in the top 10, with the first bowing at No. 1. Also notable, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is just the third TV soundtrack to debut on the Billboard 200 in 2026, following Heated Rivalry and Stranger Things 5.

Lastly, on the Independent Albums chart, the new project bows at No. 13.

Sam Smith is writing a new chapter for their love story.

The Grammy-winning singer disclosed in a new interview with The New York Times that they’re engaged to fashion designer Christian Cowan, sharing the heartwarming news just days after releasing the latest single, “Oh Mother” feat. The TwoCity Chorus, off of their forthcoming fifth studio album, Hazel Eyes.

Smith confirmed that Cowan is now their fiancé while looking back on the relationship that inspired much of the album, due Aug. 21 via Capitol Records. They revealed that “Everlasting Love,” another track from Hazel Eyes, was first written the night before the couple’s first date. It wasn’t until the relationship began to blossom that the song was completed. The album’s title is also a nod to Cowan, whose hazel-colored eyes inspired its name.

The upcoming project follows 2023’s Gloria, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and featured megahit “Unholy” with Kim Petras that peaked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2022. Across their career, Smith has earned 7 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including the No. 2-peaking breakthrough ballad “Stay With Me,” while 2017’s The Thrill of It All debuted atop the Billboard 200.

Elsewhere in the interview, Smith speaks vulnerably about the process of making Hazel Eyes outside the traditional pop songwriting system, collaborating with a close-knit group of creatives (including indie singer-songwriter Feist) to make what they describe as a more personal and creatively freeing project.

Though songs on Hazel Eyes explore everything from the joy of finding lasting love to heartbreak and healing, Smith said they intentionally held onto the emotional contradictions that tend to come with happiness. “I feel all types of things all the time,” Smith told The Times. “In my happiest moments, I can get really sad.”

The singer also reflected on crafting openly queer love songs at a time when LGBTQ+ rights continue to face challenges, explaining why celebrating love is meaningful in itself.

“For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world and singing love songs,” Smith said. “I’m not going to allow the poison that I read and that I see to affect my way of loving.”

Hazel Eyes is set for release Aug. 21.