It’s that time of year again. There’s a slight chill in the air, the nights draw in... and the eagerly awaited nominations are announced for the annual Mercury Prize.

The only real award that most serious music fans take any notice of, the Barclaycard Mercury Prize is awarded to the year’s best album. Not biggest-selling, but best.

Anna Calvi, Bombay Bicycle Club, Damon Albarn, East India Youth, FKA twigs, GoGo Penguin, Jungle, Kate Tempest, Nick Mulvey, Polar Bear, Royal Blood and Young Fathers are all up for the Album of the Year accolade While always a mix of established and up-and-coming artists, this year’s shortlist has sparked more debate than most, with an absence of many big artists in favour of a clutch of interesting, experimental and little-known acts. Even the albums by frontrunners Albarn and Royal Blood (which bookies William Hill have declared joint 4/1 favourites) are hardly mainstream — despite their chart success.

Simon Frith, Chair of Judges, said: “This year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize shortlist confirms that these are fascinating times for UK music.

“There are seven outstanding debut albums here, and five records by more established artists, all pursuing exciting new directions. What most impressed the judges was the inventive passion with which musicians explore music and emotional possibilities, refusing to be pinned down by rules or genre.”

The shortlist was chosen from an entry of over 220 albums. The winner will be announced at the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show at North London’s Roundhouse, on October 29.

It is almost as important for an artist to be shortlisted as to win — nominated albums already enjoying a surge in sales.

Among those licking their lips at the list are no doubt the good people at the O2 Academy Oxford, who have Nick Mulvey playing on October 12, Royal Blood on November 11, and the hotly-tipped Kate Tempest on November 7.

Performance poet and rapper Kate is among the most intriguing artists on the shortlist — having also been included on the Next Generation Poets list — which is only released once a decade. Previous lists featured such leading talents as Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage and Alice Oswald.

Kate also performs at Modern Art Oxford on October 2.