This year’s Mercury Award nominations are on their way (announced on July 20th 2010). If we were gambling folk, we’d bet on this lot being in there.

The xx - Surely this year’s favourites and deservedly so for a self-titled debut that gets saucier on every listen. The ultimate sleeper success of recent years thanks to the rise of dinner parties finally bored of Dido CDs and Air’s ‘Moon Safari’.

Wild Beasts – We’ve never got on board with lot ourselves (due to that warbling voice), but as ‘indie’ bands go, The Mercurys love ‘em eccentric.

These New Puritans - The Southend duo-come-four-piece seem to have stalled in their charge for an acclaimed hit, but the operatic follow up to ‘Beat Pyramid’, ‘Hidden’, deserves a nod from the judges for how unquestionably ambition it is. Is also proves Jack Barnett to be something of the mad genius people have always expected him to be.

Plan B – Certain boxes need to be ticked with the Mercurys and Plan B, we’re sorry to say, ticks two at once. He’s UK grime and ‘the coolest’ thing at T4 on the Beach. He’s also playing the O2 later this year, proving just how many records he’s shifted since ‘going Winehouse’.

Mumford & Sons – Never underestimate the power of a banjo, even if any sane ear considers it to be the sound of the devil dresses as a redneck.

Foals – ‘Antidotes’ missed out on a nomination a few years back, counting in ‘Total Life Forever”s favour. That and the fact that it’s a leap forward for the band in many many peoples’ eyes.

N-Dubz – So The Sun’s ‘Bizarre’ section writes about the award. (Hang on, have they had an album in the last year?).

Gorrillaz – A Mercury wet dream – world music meets urban influences meets a big name to draw publicity and a group that features Damon Albarn. It’s a pretty inventive record too.

Someone with the word ‘quartet’ in their name – They’ll feature a double bassist and play some brand of bluegrass. You’ll have never heard of them but still draw them in any Mercury sweep-steak you take part in.

Laura Marling – As already proven, the lone-woman-playing-bleak-folk spot is positively Marling shaped.