Pitchfork

The Nationwide Mercury Prize, the annual artistic back-pat and big-time cashout bestowed upon the finest British or Irish album of the previous year (and sometimes, just for kicks, the top album by some guy who lived in the UK once), has announced its shortlist of nominees for the 2007 accolade. There's some good stuff, some great stuff, and-- perhaps inevitably-- some Winehouse. Here, in all their alphabetically-ordered glory, they are:

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Basquiat Strings (with Seb Rochford) - Basquiat Strings
Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English
Jamie T - Panic Prevention
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Maps - We Can Create
New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
Fionn Regan - The End of History
The View - Hats Off to the Buskers
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
The Young Knives - Voices of Animals and Men

Poor Lily Allen!

Right, then. Eight of the twelve nominees enter the running with debut albums; an impressive feat considering the proclivity of our own Grammys towards age and experience (and, often, boredom). Even the oldest amongst the young folks may again have their day: the barely-legal Dizzee won in 2003 for Boy in Da Corner, and the Monkeys would be pulling a Tom Hanks should they win for Favourite, having taken the prize last year for their mouthful of a debut.

The winner will be presented with £20,000 (about 40 Gs American) in a ceremony September 4 at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.