Previous winners PJ Harvey and Elbow also among 12 nominees for album of the year
In pictures: Mercury prize 2011 nominees
She has dominated the charts on both sides of the Atlantic this year, winning plaudits for her undeniable talent and unmanufactured style, and now Adele is in the running to win the music lover's most coveted prize: the Mercury prize.
The annual Mercury award shortlist for the album of year was unveiled on Tuesday, with a strong showing for female artists and an eclectic mix of genres including urban, electro and old-fashioned guitar bands. Among the favourites is veteran artist and perennial musical chameleon PJ Harvey for her critically acclaimed album Let England Shake. Harvey was the first woman to win the award in 2001 for the album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, but was not able to collect the prize in person because she was unable to leave the US after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Another band hoping to relive their former Mercury prize success are Elbow, who are nominated for Build a Rocket Boys!. The prize is often credited for bringing the long-running band to a wider audience after sales of their 2008 album The Seldom Seen Kid soared by 700% in the week after they won the award.
Following a trend seen in recent years there is a greater emphasis on urban artists this year with Tinie Tempah in the running as well as Peckham-born, Brit-school-trained Katy B.
There are also newcomers to the music scene. Anna Calvi, with her original mix of flamenco guitars, soaring vocals and gothic style, is nominated for her eponymous album, as is James Blake whose debut, which could hardly be described as an easy listen, may be seen as ideal Mercury fodder.
Metronomy's brand of melancholic electronica in the form of The English Riviera is also valued, with Everything Everything's brand of smart pop on their album Man Alive also making it into the nominations.
Some less household, though much-admired, names to make it into the list including King Creosote, otherwise known as Fife crooner Kenny Anderson, who is nominated alongside electronica producer Jon Hopkins for their album Diamond Mine. The pair took seven years to make the album, selecting songs from Anderson's rich back catalogue to pair with new instrumentation.
A hotly tipped artist for 2011, Ghostpoet, aka singer and electronic producer Obaro Ejimiwe, makes it into the list for his album Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam while jazz and classical composer and pianist Gwilym Simcock continues a long-running Mercury tradition of featuring a jazz artist.
The winner of the award, sponsored by Barclaycard, will be announced on 6 September.
Mercury prize 2011 nominees
Adele ? 21
Anna Calvi ? Anna Calvi
Elbow ? Build a Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything ? Man Alive
Ghostpoet ? Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock ? Good Days at Schloss Elmau
James Blake ? James Blake
Katy B ? On a Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins ? Diamond Mine
Metronomy ? The English Riviera
PJ Harvey ? Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah ? Disc-Overy
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/19/adele-leads-mercury-prize-shortlist
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