Mercury Music Prize Betting odds 2022 – Wet Leg the favourites

The Mercury Music Prize betting is gearing up for the big night on September 8th. One of the most prominent awards in the industry is on the line.

Our betting experts look at who the main contenders are in this year’s Mercury Music Prize betting.

This year’s ‘Albums of the Year’ were announced on Tuesday 26 July.

Mercury Music Prize Betting odds 2022

Wet Leg (Wet Leg) 3/1
Little Simz (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert) 5/1
Self Esteem (Prioritise Pleasure) 15/2
Gwenno (Tresor) 9/1
Sam Fender (Seventeen Going Under) 9/1
Kojey Radical (Reason to Smile) 11/1
Yard Act (The Overload) 12/1
Nova Twins (Supernova) 14/1
Harry Styles (Harry’s House) 17/1
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler (For All Our Days That Tear the Heart) 20/1
Fergus McCreadie (Forest Floor) 20/1
Joy Crookes (Skin 20/1)

* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair)

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What is the Mercury Music Prize?

The actual name of this award is just the Mercury Prize, formerly known as the Mercury Music Award. But it is commonly still referred to as the latter moniker.

This is one of the biggest and most respected music awards that there is in the UK. The award goes to the best album released in the UK by a British or Irish act. A band that has at least half of its members from the UK or Ireland qualify.

The first edition of the Mercury Prize was in 1992. It was created as a response to the Brit Awards which was more mainstream, and pop-focused with its awards.

How is the Mercury Prize judged?

After entries come in from record labels, the field is whittled down to a final twelve that are shortlisted. An independent panel selects the shortlist. The criteria for the Mercury Prize is that it is judged on merit and has nothing to do with success and sales. There is no set genre, it is open to all forms of music. Any entered albums have to be available for digital download in the UK.

Who is the 2022 Mercury Prize favourite?

Breakthrough act WET LEG is the current 3/1 favourites in Mercury Prize odds* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair).

Their self-titled debut album has been a massive hit since its launch. The fact that it is a debut record could play into the hands of the Isle of Wight duo. Of the 30 previous winners of the Mercury Prize, 22 of them have been debut albums.

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Other 2022 Mercury Music Prize contenders

Little Simz is the current second favourite at 5/1* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair). It is a price that has drifted a little bit.

The rapper is in the mix with her fourth album, which opened to critical acclaim when released in September 2021. The album won the BBC Radio 6 Music Album of the Year 2021.

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is a rich, opus-like album that borders on the surreal. But the fact that it has had time to grow on people will help. Last year’s winner Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks had been out for 9 months.

Little Simz was nominated in 2019 but her album Grey Area didn’t win.

Self Esteem’s Album Priortise Pleasure also appears to be a strong player. The pop-based album comes in at 15/2 currently* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair).

It’s a hugely upbeat big album, ranked as the best of 2021 by both The Guardian and The Sunday Times, while the NME had it as the fourth best of the year.

Full List of 2022 Mercury Prize Nominations

• Fergus McCreadie – Forest Floor
• Gwenno – Tresor
• Harry Styles – Harry’s House
• Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler – For All Our Days That Tear the Heart
• Joy Crookes – Ski
• Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile
• Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
• Nova Twins – Supernova
• Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
• Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure
• Wet Leg – Wet Leg
• Yard Act – The Overload

Any other big players?

The Mercury Prize is seen as an award that propels artists forward and boosts sales. There have been artists who have received a huge increase in sales after winning the award.

That may inhibit some of the longer-priced contenders in the field. It’s also a reason why they may well be longer-priced to start with.

Sam Fender, with his chart-topping Album Seventeen Going Under, is a longer-priced option at 9/1 for example, while superstar Harry Styles is out at 17/1* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair).

It may leave Gwenno, with her album Tresor as the best outsider at 9/1* (betting odds recorded at 00:25 GMT on 4th August 2022, at Betfair). One song on the album is in Welsh, the rest in Cornish.

Last 10 Mercury Music Prize winners