Laura Mvula favourite to win tonight's Mercury Prize

Laura Mvula is the bookmakers' favourite to win tonight's Mercury Prize. Credit: Suzan/Suzan/EMPICS Entertainment

Soul singer Laura Mvula is favourite to win tonight's Mercury Prize ahead of acts including chart veteran David Bowie and previous winners Arctic Monkeys.

Bookmakers have made the Birmingham-born Mvula 7/4 to win, followed by electronic duo Disclosure, rockers Foals and Bowie, who surprised fans by returning to music with his The Next Day album.

The 12-strong list for the event, formally known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize, includes seven acts who have previously featured on the shortlist since the prize was launched in 1992.

Arctic Monkeys - who took the prize in 2006 - and singer-songwriter Laura Marling each make it on to the list for a third time, while Foals, James Blake and Villagers are among those who make their second appearance in the nominations list.

Bowie, who rarely plays live now, is the only one of the 12 shortlisted acts that will not perform at the event at the Roundhouse in north London. Instead, fans will see the video for his track Love Is Lost.

The list, which includes five debuts by the likes of 19-year-old Jake Bugg and Disclosure, was drawn from 220 albums submitted to the judging panel.

The nominees for this year's Barclaycard Mercury Prize are:

  • Laura Mvula - Sing to the Moon

  • Foals - Holy Fire

  • Disclosure - Settle

  • David Bowie - The Next Day

  • Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle

  • Jon Hopkins - Immunity

  • Arctic Monkeys - AM

  • Savages - Silence Yourself

  • James Blake - Overgrown

  • Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg

  • Rudimental - Home

  • Villagers - Awayland