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The 12 albums shortlisted for the inaugural (WMP) have been announced today. WMP is the brainchild of Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens. Here are the nominees:

Al Lewis - In The Wake

Al's self-released album was released in January 2011. It charted in Amazon's top 10 folk albums on its release. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2 and 6 Music have been supportive of the release.

• Al Lewis on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• Al Lewis on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

The Blackout - Hope

Fan-funded through the Pledge scheme, the Merthyr band's third album campaign saw them support My Chemical Romance and continue their rise through rock's ranks in the UK and Europe.

Hope was released in April 2011 by Cooking Vinyl.

• The Blackout on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• The Blackout on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Colorama - Box

Released last October on See Monkey Do Monkey, Box brought Colorama to the attention of clued-up indie fans.

Colorama, aka Carwyn Ellis, has been a favourite with Bethan Elfyn.

• Colorama on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Funeral For A Friend - Welcome ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Armageddon

Welcome ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Armageddon was Funeral For A Friend's fifth album, their first to be self-recorded and licensed to a label, and a return to the passionate rock fans remembered from their early days. It was released in March 2011.

• Funeral For A Friend on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• Funeral For A Friend on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

The Gentle Good - Tethered For The Storm

Gareth Bonello has been recording as The Gentle Good since 2005. His second album was released in March 2011 through Gwymon.

Bonello has made himself a regular on the European folk/traditional festival circuit.

• The Gentle Good on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo

Taking its starting point his enormous collection of hotel shampoo bottles, Gruff Rhys' titular work was something of an art project as well as an album.

Musically it contained gems such as Shark Ridden Waters, and was released in February 2011 through Turnstile.

• Gruff Rhys on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• Gruff Rhys on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

Released in January 2011, The Big Roar took this North Wales trio to great acclaim. As a début it's hard to beat: wall of sound meets delicate subtlety with Ritzy's vocals and guitar providing an arresting focal point.

The Joy Formidable recently played Reading/Leeds and have received support from Radio1.

• The Joy Formidable on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• The Joy Formidable on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Lleuwen - Tân

This, her third album, was released in April 2011 by Gwymon and was recorded in Brittany with a bilingual make-up of Welsh and Breton languages.

Tân was reviewed to great acclaim by The Observer, The Guardian, Mojo, Time Out and The Financial Times.

• Lleuwen on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales

Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man

"One last shot at mass communication," said Nicky Wire of this, their 10th studio album. It certainly had a powerful manifesto in lead single (It's Not War) Just The End Of Love.

Also featuring collaborations with Ian McCulloch of Echo And The Bunnymen and Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan, it was released in September 2010 through Columbia.

• Manic Street Preachers on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wales
• Manic Street Preachers on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Stagga - The Warm Air Room

A member of Dead Residents, contributor to Chrome Kids and a grime crossover star in his own right, Cardiff's Stagga has received support from Radio 1 and 1Xtra in his quest for urban music greatness.

The Warm Air Room was released in April 2011 by Rag & Bone.

Sweet Baboo - I'm A Dancer/Songs About Sleepin'

A long-time face on the Cardiff scene, Sweet Baboo has been invited to record sessions for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 6 Music's Marc Riley, Huw Stephens and Stuart Maconie.

His song How I'd Live My Life (The Bumblebee Song) sound-tracked a series of TV spots for the Visit Wales tourist board campaign in 2010. I'm A Dancer was released in September 2010 by Shape Records.

• Sweet Baboo on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music

Y Niwl

The support act for Gruff Rhys this year, Y Niwl have brought their idiosyncratic surf-style instrumental songs to wider attention with the coup of being used as the theme tune to Football Focus this year. But their music is deserving of deeper investigation.

This début album, released in December 2010 through Aderyn Papur is a good place to start.

Huw Stephens said: "We are very pleased to launch the Welsh Music Prize with 12 strong albums from Welsh artists. The shortlist is but a reflection on the quality music made in Wales and released internationally. We hope the prize brings these collections of work to a new audience, and we are looking forward to announcing an overall winner on 21 October."

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