Reckon Tom Vek could be in the nominations... No way could I call the winner - even when I see the nominatins - considering how varied the winners are.

The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike would get my vote, although I don't know if it would get a look-in. Its far more likely to go to someone like The Futureheads of Bloc Party given current tastes.

Yea The Futureheads and Bloc Party have a great chance too - although of the two it would more deserving to The Futureheads in my opinion.

Doves Some Citieswould be a worthy winner, think they were up for it before with 'Last Broadcast' Magic Numbers will win.

These Google Ads just got a little more sinister.(see above) Raising kids for sale. Check out the deals now! Is nothing sacred anymore?????!!!!

I think it'll probably be won by kt tunstall. at least she'll be nominated.

i'd say it will be one of the following: MIA (the mercurys like these egdy urban-ish albums) Magic Numbers (new band of the year) Four Tet (not his best album but the Mercurys overlooked him before) KT Tunstall (bland Dido) James Blunt (bland Dido with testicles)

Yeah MIA is probably a front runner considering Dizzee Rascal won it previously.

Lets forget the obligatory obscure jazz or folk singer as sponsored by BBC Radio 4.

The Mercury Prize nominees for this year have been announced, with Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs and KT Tunstall making it onto the shortlist. The nominations include Anthony and the Johnson's 'I Am A Bird Now', Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm', Coldplay's 'X&Y', The Go! Team's 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike', Hard Fi's 'Stars of CCTV' KT Tunstall's 'Eye of the Telescope'. Kaiser Chief's 'Employment', The Magic Numbers self-titled album, Maximo Park's 'A Certain Trigger', M.I.A.'s 'Arular', Polar Bear's 'Held on the Tips of Fingers' Seth Lakeman's 'Kitty Jay'. Eight of the albums named on this year's shortlist are debut albums. Coldplay's 'X&Y' is the biggest selling album of the year so far. Kaiser Chiefs are currently the bookmakers' favourite to claim the £20,000 prize, with their album 'Employment'. The Mercury shortlist was chosen by a panel of music industry experts, with the 12 nominees being chosen from 170 entries. Simon Frith, chairperson of the judges, said: "The renaissance in British music continues with the emergence of a wealth of new talents, demonstrated by the presence of eight debut albums on this year's Nationwide Mercury Prize shortlist." Franz Ferdinand took the award last year for their debut album and previous winners include Dizzee Rascal, Ms Dynamite, PJ Harvey and Badly Drawn Boy.

A few suprises there - and what in the name of good f**k is Hard-Fi doing in there...Jesus H Christ. Bloc Party & Kaiser Chiefs were a given but neither deserve it. And no Futureheads? Maximo Park tho!!!! Legends!

I'd go for Bloc Party, The Magic Numbers or M.I.A. to win it. Very surprised at Coldplay and Hard-Fi being in there.

who the feck are polar bear? I still think MIA with Magic Numbers, Antony and The Johnsons and Go! Team close behind. Can't see them giving it to Kaiser Chiefs or Coldplay and dont think the Bloc Party album is anywhere as good as Franz Ferdinand was last year. can i assume that Seth Lakeman is the token jazz/blues/world/classical dude? Wonder who would be on an Irish Mercurys list?

I'm flying the Maximo park flag on the basis of the jerky singer/keyboard player dance combo alone.... might even make a few badges.

Yes Pilchard, who on God's earth are Polar Bear??? Magic Numbers: good band, nice tunes, nice people, accessible, inoffensive, etc or MIA: edgy, urban, shows that the judges are down wit da word on da street, dog, yo,yo yo etc...to win!

Futureheads and maximo park belong on some other list, the crap list. Bloc Party should get it. Tom Vek should have been in with a chance too. As for hard-fi, pfhhh

unless polar bear are from leitrim or somewhere (or unless we claim antony and the johnsons under the UEFA parentage rule), it seems there are no irish albums on the mercury shortlist. is this an oversight on the part of the mercury people? does the music world in the UK really follow what happens in ireland (i.e. dublin) ....or are the irish albums of the last 12 months just not good enough?

Yea i thought that Hal might have been in with a chance for an Irish entry- theres been a lot of UK press on their album. Obviously not.