The short list of albums nominated for Britian's prestigious Mercury Prize were announced today. The award is for the best British or Irish album released in the past year. Atop the heap sits Kaiser Chief's debut effort Employment. Other notable entries include Coldplay's X&Y, Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV and M.I.A.'s Arular. Franz Ferdinand took home last year's top honors for their self-titled debut.

Source: Billboard