Stormzy and Ed Sheeran put friendship to one side as they go head-to-head for Mercury Prize

The British stars are among the nominees for this year's top music award 
Alistair Foster27 July 2017
The Weekender

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Stormzy and Ed Sheeran will put their friendship to one side as they vie for one of the music industry’s biggest awards.

The pair are among the 12 British acts shortlisted for the Hyundai Mercury Prize. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Hammersmith Apollo in September.

Croydon star Stormzy, who turned 24 yesterday, was nominated for his record Gang Signs & Prayer, which became the first grime album to reach number one in the charts after its release in February.

Sheeran, 26, is named for his third album Divide, the best-selling “entertainment product” in the UK this year across the areas of music, video and video games.

The grime star and chart-topping songwriter have previously spoken of their friendship and performed together at this year’s Brit awards.

Others on the list include previous winners Alt-J, with their third record Relaxer, indie band Blossoms with their eponymous debut, jazz band Dinosaur with Together As One and Oxford four-piece Glass Animals for How To Be A Human Being.

The xx — who won in 2010 — are nominated for I See You, along with Stratford rapper J Hus, for Common Sense.

Ed Sheeran - In pictures

Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour
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Lewisham artist Kate Tempest makes the list with Let Them Eat Chaos, as do south Londoners Loyle Carner, for Yesterday’s Gone, and Sampha, who is nominated for his album Process. Four-piece The Big Moon complete the line-up with Love In The 4th Dimension.

Alt-J’s Joe Newman said: “We are stunned, humbled and all-round ecstatic to be on this year’s Mercury list.

Relaxer is an odd, mysterious album, we couldn’t be prouder of it, and to have it recognised in this way by a panel of people we respect so much means the world to us.”

The shortlist was chosen by an independent judging panel of journalists, artists and music executives.

Tickets for the ceremony on September 14 are on sale at eventimapollo.com

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