Stormzy and Jorja Smith are among the new additions to the Mercury Prize judging panel.
They will be joined by BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes and Vice.com’s editorial director Tshepo Mokoena as the newest members of the group that will select the albums of the year and the overall winner.
Grime star Stormzy was previously shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2017 for his debut album Gang Signs And Prayer, while R&B singer-songwriter Smith was nominated last year for her debut Lost And Found.
Singer-songwriter Coombes’s album Matador was shortlisted for the accolade in 2015, and Supergrass’s debut record I Should Coco was nominated in 1995.
The 2019 shortlist will be announced at a launch event on Thursday, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music.
The judging panel, which also includes musician Jamie Cullum and broadcaster and DJ Clara Amfo along with other music journalists and broadcasters, have listened to more than 200 albums to narrow the shortlist for the industry prize down to 12.
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced at the 2019 Hyundai Mercury Prize awards show on September 19 at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London.
Last year’s prize saw rockers Wolf Alice scoop the accolade for their album Visions Of A Life, fending off competition from nominees including Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Mercury Prize chairman David Wilkinson said: “There were over 200 albums entered for the 2019 Hyundai Mercury Prize – and the judges spend many months listening to these and then meet to decide on the shortlist of 12 albums of the year.
“This has been an exciting year for British and Irish music so it’s going to be tough for them choosing just 12 albums.
“After last year’s successful event, we’re looking forward to an equally diverse and eclectic shortlist being announced by Huw Stephens on 25 July.”
