Mercury prize nominees announced

Coldplay and the Kaiser Chiefs will go head-to-head with 10 other acts in contesting this year's prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Bloc Party, Maximo Park, Hard-Fi and The Magic Numbers are also among the shortlisted acts for the £20,000 prize for the year's top album.

The shortlist was chosen by music industry experts from 170 albums.

Coldplay's X&Y is the biggest-selling album of the year so far, but the Kaiser Chiefs are being tipped to win.

Who do you think should win? Click here to vote!

Mercury Shortlist Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now Bloc Party - Silent Alarm Coldplay - X&Y The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope Kaiser Chiefs - Employment The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger M.I.A. - Arular Polar Bear - Held On The Tips Of Fingers Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay

Their album, Employment, is their first, joining seven other debut releases on the shortlist.

One of the shortlisted acts, folk artist Seth Lakeman, released his album, Kitty Jay, on his own Devon-based record label.

A spokesman for music store HMV said: "This looks like being the most open and high profile Mercury contest ever."

Last year, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand won the prize with their self-titled debut album.