Lily Allen's 2025 album, 'West End Girl', has been notably absent from the 2026 Mercury Prize shortlist. The album, described as a "marriage post-mortem", reached No 2 in the UK charts and received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2026 Brit Awards.
The shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize features Olivia Dean's 'The Art of Loving', Dave's 'The Boy Who Played the Harp', JADE's debut 'That’s Showbiz, Baby', and RAYE's 'This Music May Contain Hope'. Paul McCartney received his first nomination for 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane', while Suede are recognised for 'Antidepressants'.
Artists and their teams submit themselves for the prize, and while Allen was previously shortlisted for her 2018 album 'No Shame', the reason for 'West End Girl's exclusion remains unconfirmed. The shortlist is selected by a panel of industry experts, including critics, radio DJs, and musicians.