Mercury Prize Limited (“MPL”) - Terms & Conditions of Entry

General

1.1 All forms of contemporary music from Great Britain and Ireland are eligible for the Mercury Prize.

1.2 Albums only qualify for entry.

1.3 The album must have a digital release date between Saturday 18 July 2020 and Friday 16 July 2021 inclusive (although entries must be received by 12 May 2021). Entries received after 12 May 2021 will not be considered for the 2021 Mercury Prize.

1.4 The album must, as a minimum, be available to buy from at least two selected major UK digital download retailers and/or to stream from at least two selected streaming services (please see cl. 5 of the full Terms & Conditions for the list of selected digital download retailers and streaming services). The album may also be available to buy or stream in other formats.

1.5 Entries can only be made via a record company that owns or controls the recordings on the submitted album.

1.6 It is a condition of entry that the record company submitting an entry has obtained all of the relevant permission(s) and clearance(s) for Mercury Prize Limited (“MPL”) to use the album cover artwork and artist/band photograph (as provided as part of the entry process) from any shortlisted album for promotional purposes in connection with the Mercury Prize.

1.7 It is a condition of entry that the record company submitting an entry has obtained the relevant permission(s) and clearance(s) for MPL to use one  artist/band promo video for promotional purposes on the Website, at the Mercury Prize Launch event and on the Mercury Prize’s official social media channels and digital platforms.

1.8 It is a condition of entry that if shortlisted, artists will actively participate in the Mercury Prize promotional campaign and attend the Launch event and the Awards Show in London (and perform at the Awards Show if requested by MPL) on such dates as required by MPL. Please also note that MPL will request a small number of vinyl copies of the shortlisted albums (if available) for promotional purposes.

1.9 The withdrawal, disqualification or deemed ineligibility of any entry received by MPL is at MPL’s sole discretion

2. Artists

2.1 Artists must be of British or Irish nationality. Artists are considered to be of British or Irish nationality if (i) they hold a passport for either the United Kingdom or Ireland and/or were born in the United Kingdom or Ireland (“British” or “Irish” respectively) or (ii) they have been permanently resident in the United Kingdom or Ireland for more than 5 years.

2.2 Bands / groups are eligible if either:

2.2.1 50% or more of the signed members are British or Irish; or

2.2.2 30% or more of the signed members are British or Irish and the majority (more than 50%) of all signed band members have their principal place of residence in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

By entering the Mercury Prize you acknowledge that MPL may require proof of Artists’ nationality and that you have (or will procure) Artists’ consent to provide copies of the relevant documentation to MPL if requested.

3. Classical

3.1 Composers: premier recordings of works by contemporary British and Irish composers are eligible.

3.2 Performers: for a contemporary classical recital of a programme of works to be eligible, there must be clear evidence of the performer’s creative interpretation of the material. Straightforward recitals of works from the standard repertoire are not eligible.

4. Compilations, EPs, Mixtapes and Soundtracks

4.1 Compilations and EPs are not eligible.

4.2 Mixtapes of previously released material are not eligible.

4.3 For soundtrack albums at least 65% of the album’s running time must be an original score or new recordings by British or Irish artists.

5. Retailers
For the purposes of clause 1.4 the list of digital download retailers is: 7digital, Amazon Music, iTunes

The list of streaming services is: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, YouTube Music

6. Eligibility and Interpretation
The final decision regarding all aspects of the Mercury Prize, including any questions concerning eligibility and the interpretation of these Terms and Conditions rests with MPL. This includes (without limitation) MPL’s discretion as to what constitutes an ‘Album’. By way of guidance only, an Album is generally considered by MPL to be a collection of musical sound recordings or a recorded musical body of work that has been (or is to be) released, promoted and customarily referred to as an ‘album’. Certain so-called ‘mixtapes’ or ‘projects’ of original material may also be considered eligible at MPL’s sole discretion.

MPL is not obliged to enter into any correspondence when eligibility is disputed.

7. Right to Change Terms and Conditions
MPL may change these Terms and Conditions from time to time and is under no obligation to provide notice to you of any changes. You should therefore check these Terms and Conditions regularly.

8. Privacy Policy
We take great care to protect your data against unauthorised or unlawful use. The Entries Website uses secure socket layer technology (SSL) when sending and receiving data. This means that when you upload any information and/or content through the Website, it is transmitted via a secure protocol and that all of the information sent or received is encrypted. Your interactions are therefore private by design. By submitting an entry you agree to the processing by us of your information and the use of that information as part of the administration and running of the Mercury Prize. We may contact you by email with information and updates relating to the Mercury Prize. You can review our privacy policy at https://www.mercuryprize.com/privacy-policy. If you would prefer not to receive such information please email us at the following address: admin@mercuryprize.com

9. Payment Terms
The entry fee is £175.00 + VAT (at 20%, total £210), which covers the administrative element of the entry process. Payment of the entry fee for each submission must be made by debit or credit card during the online entry process on the Website. All payments will be processed securely via WorldPay.

10. Refund Policy
The entry fee is non-refundable once a submission has been made through the Website and successfully received by MPL. MPL accepts no liability or responsibility for any entries that are incorrectly or unsuccessfully submitted through the Website.

11. Intellectual Property
All rights in the site design, text, graphics and other content, the selection and arrangements thereof and the Mercury Prize Albums of the Year competition belong to MPL.

12. Right to Cancel
MPL reserves the right to suspend, postpone, cancel, or amend the prize competition and/or the Mercury Prize Launch event and/or Awards Show where it becomes necessary to do so.

13. Right to Exclude from the Mercury Prize
If MPL has any reason to believe that an entrant has breached the Terms and Conditions, MPL may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude the entrant from any further participation in the Mercury Prize.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any disputes arising therefrom.

Contact Details: Mercury Prize Limited, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1