Paul Weller was the first star to arrive on the red carpet Nominated artists, including Paul Weller, Dizzee Rascal and The XX, are arriving in London for this year’s prestigious Mercury Music Prize.
Fellow nominees Laura Marling, Wild Beasts, and folk-rock quartet Mumford and Sons are also due at the ceremony.
They are joined by Corinne Bailey Rae, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Villagers, I Am Kloot and the Kit Downes Trio.
The winner of the £20,000 prize for album of the year will be announced live on BBC Two.
Bookmakers William Hill slashed its odds on Weller winning the prize after an “unprecedented” rush of bets over the weekend.
The former Jam star – who has been nominated for the award once before – is now 4/6 to take the title with his album Wake Up The Nation.
It is 16 years since his second solo release, Wild Wood, was shortlisted. On the night, he lost out to M People’s Elegant Slumming.
The 52-year-old, who was the first star to turn up, told the press he did not resent missing out in 1994.
“No not at all, I’m not one to hold grudges,” he said.
‘Grin like mad’
London trio The XX had previously been the favourites.
“We make very non-main-stream, intricate, complex music”
Kit Downes (centre)
Laura Marling is another second-time nominee for her latest album, I Speak Because I Can.
Her boyfriend – Marcus Mumford – is frontman of Mumford And Sons who are nominated for their debut release, Sigh No More.
Speaking before the ceremony, Kit Downes from the acoustic jazz outfit The Kit Downes Trio, said: “Winning isn’t that big a deal really.
“You’e got to understand where we come from – we come from under a rock. We make very non-main-stream, intricate, complex music. When you go into jazz, you don’t think you’re going to be on the front cover of NME.”
Dizzee Rascal is the only nominee to have won the prize before, with his debut release Boy In Da Corner in 2003.
This latest nomination, for Tongue N’ Cheek, marks his third shot at the title after only four albums, as he was also listed in 2007 for Maths + English.
I Am Kloot, are nominated for their fifth album Sky At Night. It was produced by Guy Garvey from Elbow, who won the Mercury prize in 2008.
John Bramwell from I Am Kloot said Garvey had given them advice, telling them to “grin like mad, and clap when you lose”.
The Mercury prize is open to UK and Irish acts who have released albums over the past year.
Twelve months ago, the award went to hip-hop star Speech Debelle for her debut release, Speech Therapy.
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