The Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party lead the list of nominees for the prestigious Mercury Prize. The award is intended to honor the top artists in the UK music scene and is often, but not always, a harbinger of long-term success.

This year's group of artists also includes Coldplay ("X&Y"), Bloc Party ("Silent Alarm"), Antony and the Johnsons ("I Am a Bird Now"), Maximo Park ("A Certain Trigger"), M.I.A. ("Arular"), Hard-Fi ("Stars of CCTV") and the Magic Numbers ("Magic Numbers").

Past winners include Franz Ferdinand (who won last year), PJ Harvey, Dizzee Rascal, Ms. Dynamite, Badly Drawn Boy, Gomez, Suede, M People, Portishead, Roni Size/Reprasent, Tavin Singh, Pulp and Primal Scream (who took home the inaugural prize in 1992). The award ceremony is set for September 6th.