Music
18 Feb 26

Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle for 2026

Last year marked the first time the award ceremony was held outside of London.

The 2026 Mercury Prize will return to its host city of Newcastle for a second year, in partnership with Newcastle City Council.

The ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Newcastle's Utilita Arena, with live performances from the shortlisted artists on the evening, culminating in the announcement of the overall winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize.

First held in 1992, as an alternative to the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize recognises the best new British & Irish music across a range of contemporary music genres. The '12 Albums of the Year’ shortlist is curated by an independent judging panel of music industry professionals.

Organisers say 2025 was the Prize's biggest year to date, as it marked the first time the awards show was held outside of London.

Last year saw Newcastle's own, Sam Fender, take home the prize for his album, People Watching, which scored a nine-star review in Hot Press upon its release in February, with Riccardo Dwyer describing it as "brimming with unpretentious pathos" and "Sam Fender's most shining effort to date".

Recent years' winners have included English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Michael Kiwanuka, Dave, Wolf Alice, Sampha, Skepta and Benjamin Clementine.

"We are delighted to see the prize return to the Toon and to the North-East for what we know will be another memorable occasion for artists and fans," said Dr Jo Twist and YolanDa Brown, artist and BPI Chair.

"We thank Newcastle City Council and all our valued partners for their continued collaboration and commitment, and we can't wait for what is already shaping up to be another fantastic year of British and Irish music."