Adele, Elbow, PJ Harvey and Tinie Tempah are among the contenders for this year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize.
Half of the 12 nominees for the annual award were selected for debut releases and the shortlist features four female singer-songwriters.
James Blake, Katy B, Ghostpoet, Everything Everything, Anna Calvi, Gwylim Simcock, King Creosote and Jon Hopkins, and Metronomy have also been nominated for the prize.
No Irish artist has this year made the shortlist, which was announced today at the Hospital Club in London's Covent Garden, and regular contenders Radiohead also failed to win a nomination for recent release King of Limbs.
The annual music award was established in 1992 as an alternative to the industry-dominated Brit Awards. The winner receives £20,000, although the boost from album sales is worth much more.
Primal Scream, Portishead, Antony and the Johnsons and Arctic Monkeys are all past winners of the award. The XX took home the prize last year.
London singer-songwriter Adele (23) is the early favourite with bookmakers to win the award for her album 21. The album is the biggest selling in the UK so far this year and set a new record for an unbroken 11-week stint at the top of the charts.
She is closely followed in the running by 2001 winner PJ Harvey, who earned a nomination for Let England Shake, and the rapper Tinie Tempah (22) for his album Disc-Overy.
Elbow are also among the frontrunners for the award for their album Build a Rocket Boys! Their previous album The Seldom Seen Kid won the Mercury Prize in 2008.
"This year's Barclaycard Mercury Prize shortlist highlights the remarkable possibilities of what can be achieved with music – the grand gesture and telling detail, albums that are dramatic, ambitious and artful, emotional and affectionate, funny and profound," said Simon Frith, chair of the judges panel.
"Much of the music here evokes a sense of place and time, providing a wonderful snapshot of Britain's varied musical life."
Although considered to be a prestigious award, the Mercury Prize has come in for criticism on a number of occasions.
In 1994 there was widespread dismay when the pop act M People was awarded the prize for Elegant Slumming over Blur's Parklife , Paul Weller's Wildwood , Pulp's His 'n' Hers and The Prodigy's Music for the Jilted Generation albums, all of which were considered to be stronger candidates.
There's also been criticism of the prize panel's tendency to favour outsider acts over more mainstream ones, with some previous winners, such as Talvin Singh and Roni Size, failing to capitalise after winning the prize.
Irish acts to have been nominated for the Mercury Prize over the years include Van Morrison, U2, Therapy, Lisa Hannigan, Villagers and Fionn Regan.
The overall winner of the 2011 prize will be revealed on September 6th.
Full list of Mercury Prize nominees:
Anna Calvi — Anna Calvi
Adele — 21
Katy B — On A Mission
Metronomy — The English Riviera
Everything Everything — Man Alive
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins — Diamond Mine
Tinie Tempah — Disc-Overy
James Blake — James Blake
PJ Harvey — Let England Shake
Ghostpoet — Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
Elbow — Build A Rocket Boys!
Gwilym Simcock — Good Days at Schloss Elmau
