The nominations for the 2012 Barclaycard Mercury Prize have been announced.
Chosen by a panel of music critics and industry experts, 12 albums have been confirmed for this year's shortlist.
Jessie Ware's debut album Devotion, quirky Scottish band Django Django's self-titled LP and Plan B's soundtrack to his film iLL Manors are among the nominations.
Early favourites Alt-J are recognised for An Awesome Wave, along with Richard Hawley's critically acclaimed Standing at the Sky's Edge.
BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka is nominated for Home Again, and will face off against Ben Howard's Every Kingdom and Lianne La Havas's debut Is Your Love Big Enough.
The shortlist is completed by Given to the Wild by The Maccabees, Roller Trio's self-titled LP, Field Music's Plum and Sam Lee's Ground of Its Own.
Among the absentees are Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow, Bright Light Bright Light's Make Me Believe in Hope and Emeli Sandι's Our Version of Events.
Alt-J: 'An Awesome Wave'
Alt-J An Awesome Wave
Ben Howard Every Kingdom
Django Django Django Django
Field Music Plumb
Jessie Ware Devotion
Lianne La Havas Is Your Love Big Enough?
The Maccabees Given to the Wild
Michael Kiwanuka Home Again
Plan B Ill Manors
Richard Hawley Standing at the Sky's Edge
Roller Trio Roller Trio
Sam Lee Ground of its Own
alt-J is the most deserving, to be honest. An Awesome Wave is something else entirely. I'd be happy with Jessie Ware, Lianne La Havas, Michael Kiwanuka, or Sam Lee winning as well. Really, all these albums are solid, those are just my favorites.
"Pelican" by The Maccabees is fantastic, "iLL Manors" is an excellent single from Plan B, and both Field Music and Django Django came out with solid releases too. "Waveforms" by Django Django and "Guillotine" by Field Music are their best, respectively. I haven't heard Richard Hawley's album yet, but I absolutely loved "Tonight The Streets Are Ours" ... it was the perfect song to open Exit Through the Gift Shop.
