The Mercury Awards, officially known as the Mercury Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the United Kingdom or Ireland. Established in 1992, it aims to recognize and celebrate artistic achievement across a wide range of contemporary music genres without any category restrictions. The prize considers albums from all music types including pop, rock, folk, urban, grime, dance, jazz, blues, electronica, and classical. Each year, 12 albums are shortlisted by an independent panel of judges from the music industry. From these, one album wins the overall Mercury Prize, receiving a cash prize of £25,000 along with a winner's trophy, while all shortlisted artists receive a specially commissioned 'Album of the Year' trophy. The prize is highly regarded for helping boost public awareness and sales of the winning and shortlisted albums. Most recently, in 2025, the Mercury Prize was awarded to Sam Fender for his album "People Watching," which was praised for its cohesion, character, and ambition, blending heartland rock with themes of everyday life and community. The awards ceremony is a significant event in the UK and Irish music calendar and often brings increased attention to the artistic quality of the album format.