UKNY for October 12

Over the years, the winner of the Mercury Prize, most recently English Teacher in 2024, Ezra Collective in 2023, and Little Simz in 2022, have cited the honor — and its £25,000 (about $33,500) check — as the affirmation and access needed to forge ahead and remain true to a unique vision. Whatever the winning UK or Irish album might be this year — the Mercury Prize will be announced this Thursday, October 16 — all 12 of this year's shortlisted albums are triumphs of tenacity, most forged from deeply personal backstories.

Tonight on "UKNY" at 11pm, the annual preview of this year's Mercury Prize, being held at Newcastle's Utility Arena, the first time in the event's history that it's happening outside of London. Two strong contenders are from Ireland — Fontaines D.C.'s Romance and CMAT's Euro-Country — and if either were to win, it would be the first Irish album to ever take home the Mercury Prize. 

There are other notable nominees too. At the age of 84, folk music legend Martin Carthy is the oldest nominee ever. Wolf Alice, nominated for 2025's The Clearing, are the first to ever have all of their releases to date (four) nominated for the Mercury Prize; they won in 2018 for Visions of a Life. And Pulp, who won in 1996 for 1995's Different Class, are nominated nearly 30 years later for their first album in 24 years, More. 

I'll play a track from each of the 12 nominated artists and albums which are:

CMAT: EURO-COUNTRY
Emma-Jean Thackray: Weirdo 
FKA twigs: EUSEXUA
Fontaines D.C.: Romance
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

That's "UKNY," Sundays from 11pm-midnight, on 90.7FM, streaming online, and in the Archives after broadcast.