The institution is eagerly anticipating the announcement of the 2026 Mercury Prize winners, with fingers crossed for the band Knats and their album A Great Day in Newcastle. Knats features King David Ike-Elechi and Stan Woodward, both alumni of the class of 2026, and Ferg Kilsby, who is in his final year of the BMus Jazz Performance programme.
The Mercury Prize aims to promote the best of UK and Irish music and the artists behind it by celebrating the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’, recognising artistic achievement across a diverse range of contemporary music genres. It is considered the music industry's equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art.
The Trinity Laban community has a strong history of representation on the shortlist, with numerous artists who are shaping the future of contemporary music being nominated over the past decade. Previous nominees include the 2023 winners Ezra Collective.
