The 2025 Mercury Music Prize shortlist is officially out, and we’re proud to say that the North has been well represented once again this time around, with multiple names from the top end of the nation featured among the nominees – including an adopted Manchester-based rising star.
You know what, cratch that: she might as well be a Manc music queen at this point, if you ask.
We may be heavily biased here, but with indie and alt-pop artist CMAT making her way onto the Mercury Music Prize award shortlist this year, our vote is practically already cast.
If you haven’t listened to CMAT yet, then you’re seriously missing out, and following the release of her latest LP, Euro-Country, at the end of August, it’s little surprise she’s earned the Mercury nod.
She may be Irish-born, but the ‘Dubyone Diana’ truly started to make a name for herself in Manchester, and you’re damn right we’re taking her as one of our own.
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Moving to 0161 as a teenager with her old band, Bad Sea, she was just 17 when she got here; now 29 and making fairly different music to the kind she did as part of the previous duo, she’s grown massively in popularity over the last few years – and she’s done a lot of it from right here in Greater Manchester.
From playing the city centre music venue circuit to stunning crowds at the likes of Kendal Calling and Glastonbury Festival, she’s come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.
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Come on, if this isn’t award-winning energy, then we don’t know what is…
We welcome her to keep leaning into country music as much as she wants.
There’s another reason we want CMAT to win the Mercury Prize
It isn’t just because we’re somewhat biased local fans that we’re putting our money on her winning the 2025 Mercury Prize: she nearly already did this time last year for her sophomore outing, Crazymad, For Me, having released three impressive studio albums in less than 36 months.
“As she was reading it, I had this weird flip in my stomach, that I didn’t want to win the Mercury Prize for THAT record, because I had a feeling I could make something better.
“Two days later, I started to make EURO-COUNTRY. The Mercury Prize put a bottle rocket up my bum, to try and do something a bit more cutting edge and experimental and intense, if that makes sense.”
She signed off by adding, “I didn’t necessarily expect to be nominated again as a result, but I am very happy to have been.” We had a feeling she would, to be honest, hence why she was among our artists of the month – not even a fortnight before the shortlist was announced, no less.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender are also on there after a standout 12 months for both artists, but we’re sticking with CMAT for our 2025 Mercury Prize winner. After all, surely she can’t miss out two years in a row?
Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Publicity picture
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Courteeners to play legendary intimate venue in Manchester THIS weekend
Daisy Jackson
Courteeners have just announced an incredibly intimate show in Manchester, taking to the stage at the legendary Night & Day this weekend.
The indie rock legends, and proud Mancunian export, have just confirmed they’ll be playing a very special one-off show in their hometown on Saturday 11 April.
Night & Day is a venue Courteeners played several times at the start of their career, and now they’re heading back to the 250-capacity institution.
The news comes alongside an announcement for a best-of album, God Bless The Band, as well as several new arena shows across the UK.
Courteeners will be playing the Leeds First Direct Arena, London’s Alexandra Palace, Cardiff Utilita Arena, Liverpool M&S Bank Arena, Glasgow OVO Hydro and Birmingham Utilita Arena this autumn.
That comes in addition to their existing live shows this summer, which include an almighty outdoor summer show at Wythenshawe Park.
Courteeners have also released a new single, The Luckiest Man Alive.
Speaking of Courteeners’ return to Night & Day in Manchester, the venue wrote: “Night & Day are thrilled to announce that seminal Manc band THE COURTEENERS will be coming back to where it all started on Saturday 11th April.
“From their formative years practicing in our cellar, crucial early shows upstairs in the venue proper, to supporting us through threats of closure, The Courteeners have played a huge part in the history of Night & Day Café, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to the venue this weekend.”
As for that new tour – £1 + VAT from every ticket sold will be donated to the newly launched LIVE Trust, a new funding initiative from LIVE that will offer much-needed financial support to those working across live music.
“It’s fantastic to see Courteeners supporting the LIVE Trust with a £1 per ticket contribution on their upcoming tour, building on their commitment for the Wythenshawe Park show in August,” said Jon Collins, CEO of the LIVE Trust. “This donation will directly benefit the full grassroots ecosystem – from venues and artists to promoters and festivals – helping to protect, expand and support grassroots music across the UK.”
Speaking about the release, Liam Fray says “In October it’s 20 years since our first gig, so with a couple of new songs fresh from the studio, the timing just seemed right for a Best Of. If we mean half as much to people as they have done to us over the years, then we’ve not done too bad. We look forward to seeing you down the front God Bless The Fans x”
Newly Announced Courteeners Arena Dates
Fri 06 Nov Leeds, First Direct Arena
Sat 07 Nov Cardiff, Utilita Arena
Fri 13 Nov Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
Sat 14 Nov London, Alexandra Palace
Fri 20 Nov Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Sat 21 Nov Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Pre-sale tickets go on sale Wednesday 15 April. General sale from Friday 17 April from ticketmaster.co.uk and gigsandtours.com.
Additional Summer Shows already announced:
Thu 23 Jul Stoke-On-Trent, Victoria Hall (sold out)
Sat 25 July Sheffield, Tramlines (festival headline, sold out)
Thu 27 Aug Leicester, O2 Academy (sold out)
Sat 29 Aug Manchester, Wythenshawe Park (sold out)
Noah Kahan has just announced TWO huge gigs in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Noah Kahan has just announced details of two massive arena gigs here in Manchester.
The Stick Season singer is heading back to UK shores, two years after his last appearance in our city when he played to a packed-out Co-op Live.
This time, Noah Kahan is doing the double and will play two nights at the legendary AO Arena.
He’s set to perform here in November as part of a newly-announced tour, in support of his upcoming fourth studio album, The Great Divide.
Noah Kahan is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, originally from Vermont, and has become one of the biggest and most recognisable voices on the planet.
His music has now amassed almost 15 billion streams worldwide, with nearly 12 million albums sold.
Noah’s star rocketed in 2022 with the release of his acclaimed third album, Stick Season, which sat in the UK album chart for three years.
The album featured collaborations with top artists including Hozier (Northern Attitude), Post Malone (Dial Drunk), and Sam Fender (Homesick).
In 2023, Kahan launched his mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $5.5 million to date in support of its mission to increase awareness around the importance of mental health.
His upcoming fourth album, The Great Divide, is said to ‘build on Kahan’s signature storytelling while pushing his sound into more expansive, anthemic, and sonically adventurous territory’.
He will embark on The Great Divide Tour this summer, headlining stadiums across North America for his biggest tour to date.
Noah Kahan will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on 9 and 10 November 2026, with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday 17 April.
Danny Jones -
11th September 2025 
