Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid
USP The best lyricist and the best singer in Britain – in the same band.
Will it win? If it’s purely about the songs, it has to be between this one and Radiohead.

Burial Untrue
USP Pop’s own Banksy – wintry, urban dubstep noir recorded under the cloak of anonymity.
Will it win? A good outside bet.

Radiohead In Rainbows
USP Its release brought back the excitement of album-as-event. The contents lived up to the anticipation.
Will it win? Possibly. Radiohead have never won the Mercury and this could remedy that.

British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?
USP A band with a fascination for maritime history and fell walking has never been short on USPs.
Will it win? Probably not. They’re up against Elbow and Radiohead.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand
USP It’s an album of American songs, produced by an American and released on an American label.
Will it win? Having made it this far, it stands a chance of going all the way.

Estelle Shine
USP Dropped by her old label V2, she went to America, located John Legend and got a deal on his label.
Will it win? Yes, if the judges want to give the fairytale a happy ending.

Adele 19
USP Can we get back to you on that?
Will it win? Probably not.

Laura Marling Alas I Cannot Swim
USP Best young singer-songwriter in the country right now.
Will it win? A good outside bet. Probably the best young artist in a competition that prefers new talent.

Rachel Unthank & the WInterset The Bairns
USP The only album featuring the sound of clogs.
Will it win? Doubtful. The folk one never wins.

Neon Neon Stainless Style
USP It’s an electro-pop concept album about the 1970s car tycoon John DeLorean.
Will it win? Hard to picture it.

Portico Quartet Knee-Deep in the North Sea
USP They use a Homebase barbecue as an instrument.
Will it win? Unprecedentedly for the jazz one – it might well do.

The Last Shadow Puppets Age of the Understatement
USP Detour into 1960s orch-pop by Arctic Monkey and his chum.
Will it win? William Hill thinks so.

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