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Adele, Tinie Tempah & Elbow lead Mercury big hitters

19/07/2011

Adele, Tinie Tempah and Elbow are the biggest selling artists to be nominated for this year's Mercury Music Prize, the Official Charts Company confirms today. 
Following the announcement of the Mercury Music Prize this lunchtime, the Official Charts Company has released the following data outlining sales to date of the shortlisted albums. 
The albums have in total sold 3.9m copies between them - although Adele, Tinie Tempah and Elbow account for 91% of that total. Of those shortlisted, eight have sold fewer than 100,000 copies to date. Of the shortlisted albums, three have sold fewer than 10,000 copies - titles by King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Ghostpoet and Gwilym Simcock. 
The list also includes albums by two acts who have won the award before - by PJ Harvey (who won in 2001 for Stories From The City) and Elbow (for The Seldom Seen Kid in 2008).
Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot says, "With two-thirds of the shortlist having sold fewer than 100,000 copies to date (and six which have only peaked outside the Official Albums Top 10), this year's Mercury-nominated albums have extra potential for a sales boost. It really does feel like a list with plenty of chance for a lift over the coming weeks, leading up to the result announcement in September."

Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize – Sales to date

Title

Artist

Label

DUS

Position

21

ADELE

XL RECORDINGS

2.7m

1

DISC-OVERY

TINIE TEMPAH

PARLOPHONE

620,000

1

BUILD A ROCKET BOYS

ELBOW

FICTION

230,000

2

ON A MISSION

KATY B

RINSE RECORDINGS

140,000

2

LET ENGLAND SHAKE

PJ HARVEY

ISLAND

60,000

8

JAMES BLAKE

JAMES BLAKE

A&M/ATLAS

50,000

9

MAN ALIVE

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

GEFFEN

40,000

17

THE ENGLISH RIVIERA

METRONOMY

BECAUSE MUSIC

20,000

28

ANNA CALVI

ANNA CALVI

DOMINO RECORDINGS

20,000

40

DIAMOND MINE

KING CREOSOTE & JON HOPKINS

DOUBLE SIX

 

82

PEANUT BUTTER BLUES & MELANCHOLY JAM

GHOSTPOET

BROWNSWOOD RECORDINGS

 

 n/a

GOOD DAYS AT SCLOSS ELMAU

GWILYM SIMCOCK

ACT MUSIC & VISION

 

 n/a


Sales figures for the life of each album, up to midnight, Saturday July 16 2011. Position denotes peak in the Official Albums Chart. 
                                               
Source: Official Charts Company.

Notes to Editors:
Chart information quoted from this release must be credited to The Official Charts Company. The Official Charts Company (OCC) is a joint venture between record labels' body the BPI and ERA, the Entertainment Retailers Association. The OCC is responsible for the commissioning, marketing, distribution and management of the UK's industry standard music charts and industry sales data.
The Official Charts Company compiles its charts from sales information gathered across all key distribution (or entertainment) channels including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets, mail order internet retailers and digital music service providers. This market research sample equates to 99% of the total UK Singles market; 98% of the total UK Albums market and 90% of the total UK DVD market.
BBC Radio 1 and the Official Charts Company publishes the full singles and album updates online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart. BBC Radio 1 can be found on 97-99fm; on DAB Radio; online at bbc.co.uk/radio1; and on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat.
The Official Chart Update with Greg James, 3.30pm-4pm, BBC Radio 1; The Official Chart Show with Reggie Yates, Sunday 4pm-7pm, BBC Radio 1; Jo Whiley, Mondays 8pm-9pm (Jo features Official Album Chart highlights) www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/
For more information:
Martin Talbot 07802 277528
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