David Bowie on Mercury shortlist

LONDON - Agence France Presse

David Bowie was named on the shortlist for the Mercury Prize, Britain’s prestigious music award.

Rock icon David Bowie’s re-emergence into the limelight continued on Sept. 11 when he was named on the shortlist for the Mercury Prize, one of Britain’s most prestigious music awards.

The winners of the award, for the best British or Irish album of any genre released in the year to July, will be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 30.

Also on the list are former winner Arctic Monkeys, folk singers Jake Bugg and Laura Marling and Oxford art-rockers Foals.

The victors, chosen by an independent panel of judges, will join an exclusive club of past winners including Portishead, Pulp and Franz Ferdinand.
 
Bowie reconquered his home charts in March by scoring his first number one album in 20 years with “The Next Day.”

Breaking his silence 

Bowie surprised the music world by breaking a decade-long musical silence in January when he unveiled a new single entitled “Where Are We Now?” his first release since the 2003 studio album “Reality.”

Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys, winners in 2006, said they were “delighted and hugely flattered” at being nominated for their latest release, “AM,” while Jake Bugg’s self-titled album secured his first nomination.
 
Two-time former nominee Laura Marling makes the list again for “Once I Was an Eagle.”