The Mercury Music Prize brought music’s biggest names – including RAYE and Olivia Dean – to rainy Newcastle on Thursday, October 22, for a star-studded awards show.
Heavyweights Paul McCartney and Dave were among the 12 shortlisted album artists, with the winner receiving £25,000.
Hosted by Lauren Laverne at the sold-out Utilita Arena, the ceremony, which celebrated the year’s best British and Irish albums, aired on BBC Four.
Missed it? Below, we’ll show you how to watch a full replay of the 2026 Mercury Music Prize from anywhere…
How to watch Mercury Music Prize for free on BBC iPlayer
How to watch Mercury Prize 2026 from anywhere
BBC iPlayer is only showing the Mercury Prize (2026) to residents in the UK.
Brits traveling or working outside the UK will need to use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer’s stream.
There are lots of VPNs but NordVPN is the one you can rely on to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch the Mercury Album of The Year show from anywhere in the world.
It’s super simple to use a VPN to watch the Mercury Music Prize replay on BBC iPlayer.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re visiting the US and want to watch your free BBC iPlayer stream, you’d select ‘UK’.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer, sign in, and watch Mercury Music Prize for free.
What devices is BBC iPlayer available on?
You can use BBC iPlayer on all of the following devices and platforms:
Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
Android TV (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Android (Mobile & Tablet) – Android 7.0 and above
Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
Google TV
Freely
Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes)
iOS (iPhone & iPad) – iOS 14 and above
LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)
NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above – 2016 models only offer on demand TV)
Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream
Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)
Who performed at the Mercury Music Prize 2026?
RAYE, Olivia Dean, JADE, Florence + The Machine, Nia Archives, Suede, Kojey Radical, Knats and Dove Ellis performed, with Pulp also taking the stage.
Mercury Prize 2026 Nominations in full
- Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp
- Dove Ellis – Blizzard
- Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
- JADE – THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
- Knats – A Great Day In Newcastle
- Kojey Radical – Don’t Look Down
- Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist
- Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
- Paul McCartney – The Boys of Dungeon Lane
- RAYE – THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.
- Suede – Antidepressants
- War Child Records – HELP(2)
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Tom Bailey
