the Mercury Prize
/ðə ˈmɜːkjəri praɪz/
/ðə ˈmɜːrkjəri praɪz/
- a pop music prize, known in the past as the Mercury Music Prize, that was started in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards because these were seen to be strongly influenced by the big record companies. The Mercury Prize is given every year to a band or singer, especially one from a small independent record company, for the best album of the year.