Mercury prize 2010: Dizzee Rascal and the xx lead nominations

Dizzee Rascal and the xx will fight it out as favourites to win this year's Mercury prize. From a decidedly indie list, bookmaker William Hill put Dizzee's Tongue N' Cheek and the xx's eponymous debut album at 4/1 to win the prize. Elsewhere there were nominations for Paul Weller's Wake Up the Nation (6/1), Wild Beasts' Two Dancers (8/1) and Corinne Bailey Rae's critically acclaimed second album the Sea (6/1). Laura Marling will go head to head with her boyfriend, Marcus Mumford, of nu-folk trio Mumford and Sons – both artists have odds of 6/1 for I Speak Because I Can and Sigh No More respectively. The closest thing to a wildcard this year is Kit Downes Trio's Golden, which has odds of 10/1 to win. The full list is as follows: Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N' Cheek (4/1) The xx – xx (4/1) Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation (6/1) Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea (6/1) Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More (6/1) Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can (6/1) Foals – Total Life Forever (8/1) Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (8/1) Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions (8/1) Villagers – Becoming a Jackal (10/1) Kit Downes Trio – Golden (10/1) I Am Kloot – Sky at Night (10/1) Many people – including Guardian readers – expected Gorillaz and Fuck Buttons to appear on the list, although it's believed that both artists refused to put their albums up for nomination. In 2001, Gorillaz described being nominated as "like carrying a dead albatross round your neck for eternity" . A spokesman for Fuck Buttons was unable to confirm if that band had put their second album, Tarot Sport, forward. Last year's Mercury prize was won by Speech Debelle. The ceremony takes place in London on 7 September.