Arctic Monkeys Go For Second Consecutive Mercury Prize

The Arctic Monkeys could become the first band to win the U.K.'s Nationwide Mercury Prize for two straight years after joining 11 other acts on the short list for the annual award presented to the country's best album.

The Sheffield group's Whatever People Say What I Am, That's What I'm Not was honoured in 2006, making this year's Favourite Worst Nightmare follow-up one of two nominated records by a past winner. Dizzee Rascal, who won in 2003 for Boy In Da Corner, is up for the prize again for Maths + English.

The short list was announced on Tuesday at The Hospital venue in London, where finalists The View performed an acoustic version of "Superstar Tradesman" and short lister Fionn Regan played "Good Or Be Gone."

The winner, who will receive 20,000 pounds ($42,700), will be announced at a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Sept. 4. Favourite Worst Nightmare and Amy Winehouse's Back To Black are the early favourites, according to British bookmakers, who are offering 4-1 odds on both albums.

The short list finalists for Canada's equivalent of the Mercury, the Polaris Music Prize, were announced last week.

Here are this year's Nationwide Mercury Prize nominees:

Arctic Monkeys — Favourite Worst Nightmare
Klaxons — Myths Of The Near Future
Amy Winehouse — Back To Black
Maps — We Can Create
The View — Hats Off To The Buskers
Jamie T — Panic Prevention
Dizzee Rascal — Maths + English
Bat For Lashes — Fur And Gold
Young Knives — Voices Of Animals And Men
Fionn Regan — The End Of History
New Young Pony Club — Fantastic Playroom
Basquiat Strings — Basquiat Strings