Tonight, some of Britain's most talented music artists will come together to celebrate the crowning of the Album Of The Year. As for who will win the prize... it's a tough one to call. The bookies currently have PJ Harvey down as a favourite. I think my vote goes to Adele. The cool kids are rallying for Metronomy. The actual kids are probably hoping for Tinie Tempah.
But regardless of who picks up the prize later on, this is one award where people take the nominees just as seriously as the winner. Well, not just as seriously but you know what I mean - being nominated for the award is still a magnificent deal, even if you don't win.
So let's look at the list of maybes: There's James Blake, Adele, Elbow, Tinie Tempah, PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi and Metronomy - they are all shortlisted. The other nominees are Everything Everything, Katy B, Gwilym Simcoc, Ghostpoet and King Cresote & John Hopkins.
But who deserves the gong?
Yeah, that's the almost impossible bit. All the shortlisted artists are well respected - there are no signs of "Really? They were nominated were they?".
Adele and Tinie Tempah are maybe more publically loved - after all, their tunes are the ones we most notice on the commercial radio stations, they dominate the charts and in Adele's case, almost every X Factor wannabe is singing her song. PJ Harvey's recent Let England Shake album is hotly tipped and a win would mean there'll be two Mercury Prizes on her mantlepiece - she won way back in 2001 with her Stories From The City album. Elbow, too, have already nabbed the gong - last time in 2008. James Blake, Anna Calvi and Metronomy are also causing their own stir - and all are well deserved of their place on the shortlist.
But only one can take home the title... who will it be? We'll have to wait until later tonight to find out.
