The U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize has announced its shortlist of 12 nominees for the 2006 award.

The list includes Radiohead front-man Thom Yorke’s “The Eraser,” Muse’s “Black Holes & Revelations,” and Arctic Monkeys’ “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” — the fastest-selling debut album ever in Britain.

The award has been given out annually since 1992, and is presented by a committee of industry representatives. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced at a gala on September 5.

“Above all, this year’s shortlist is about the art of the songwriter,” said Simon Frith, panel chairman for Mercury. “If you want to know what life is like in Britain today, listen to the country’s musicians.”

Previous winners of the prize include “Different Class” by Pulp, “The Hour of Bewilderbeast” by Badly Drawn Boy” and last year’s recipient, “I am a Bird Now” by Antony and the Johnsons.

Here’s the full shortlist for the 2006 Mercury Prize, according to Reuters:

Arctic Monkeys — “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan — “Ballad of the Broken Seas”
Editors — “The Back Room”
Guillemots — “Through the Windowpane”
Richard Hawley — “Coles Corner”
Hot Chip — “The Warning”
Muse — “Black Holes & Revelations”
Zoe Rahman — “Melting Pot”
Lou Rhodes — “Beloved One”
Scritti Politti — “White Bread Black Beer”
Sway — “This is My Demo”
Thom Yorke — “The Eraser”






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