The U.K.’s Mercury Prize is planning a major shake-up for 2025’s ceremony with a new location and date.
The 2025 ceremony will take place in Newcastle, England, at the city’s Utilita Arena; it will be the first time that the awards have ever taken place outside of London. The event will take place on Oct. 16 at the 15,800-capacity venue, a month later than its traditional spot in mid-September.
The Mercury Prize was first held in 1992 and is annually awarded to what its judging panel deems the best album by an act from the United Kingdom or Ireland. Primal Scream’s Screamadelica was the event’s first winner, and in the subsequent years, it was collected by a number of huge acts such as Pulp (1995), PJ Harvey (2001, 2011), Arctic Monkeys (2006), The xx (2010), Dave (2019) and more. The most recent winners were Leeds indie band English Teacher, who scooped the prize with debut album This Could Be Texas in 2024.
The event has traditionally been held at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith with an array of performances from the shortlisted artists. 2024’s event, however, was relatively pared back and did not feature a public ceremony or performances; the winner was announced at the capital’s Abbey Road Studios. In 2022, the ceremony was postponed just hours before the event was due to take place due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Mercury Prize will partner with Newcastle City Council and The North East Combined Authority to host the event, and tickets will be available to the general public via AXS.
Albums released between July 13, 2024 and Aug. 29, 2025 (inclusive), will be considered eligible for entry, with submissions due to open on June 4 and close on June 25. The 12-strong shortlist will be announced on Sept. 10 and selected by a panel of industry figures; 2024’s judging committee included Billboard U.K.’s Sophie Williams.
The award show will be broadcast across BBC Music, and a number of fringe events will take place around the event in conjunction with Newcastle’s Generator music festival. A press release says that the award show will feature live performances from “many of the 12 shortlisted artists” prior to the winner being announced.
It’s the latest awards event to favor hosting its ceremony in the north east of England, following on from the 2025 MOBOs (Music of Black Origin), which also took place at the Utilita Arena back in February. The city’s Mayor Kim McGuinness said, “Bringing the Mercury Prize to the north east is yet another fantastic accolade that builds on our proud cultural history and strengthens our reputation as a region of culture.”
“The success of artists like Sam Fender shows what is possible for young musicians in our region and hosting the Mercury Prize in the north east gives us the opportunity to showcase our homegrown talent.”
