After days of voting over on our brand new forums, the winner of this year's Neptune Prize (our alternative to the Mercury Prize to shine a light on some records we recommend) wasn't our editor's choice (The Kills) or our reviews editor's choice (PJ Harvey) but it was...

Congratulations to MARTHA (@MarthaDIY / @fortunapop), winners of the #NeptunePrize 2016.
Album available @bandcamp: https://t.co/uXTKwEQI3D

— Drowned in Sound ⚓️ (@DrownedinSound) September 15, 2016

Who? Read Paul Brown's 9/10 review of the album here.

Who else was nominated?

2016 Neptune Prize

The Nominees

Anna Meredith - Varmints (Moshi Moshi)
The Anchoress - Confessions of a Romance Novelist (Kscope)
Black Peaks - Statues (Sony)
Fiona Brice - Postcards From... (Bella Union)
Darren Hayman - Thankful Villages (Rivertones)
Daughter - Not To Disappear (4AD/Glassnote)
Desert Mountain Tribe - Either That Or The Moon (Membran)
Floating Points - Elaenia (Beat)
Future of the Left - The Peace & Truce of Future of the Left (Self-Release)
Garbage - Strange Little Birds (Stunvolume)
The Kills - Ash & Ice (Domino)
Martha - Blisters In the Pit of My Heart (Fortuna Pop!/Dirtnap)
Meilyr Jones - 2013 (Moshi Moshi)
Melt Yourself Down - Last Evenings On Earth (The Leaf Label)
Muncie Girls - From Caplan to Belsize (Animal Style)
Pet Shop Boys - Super (x2/Kobalt)
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project (Island/Vagrant)
Suede - Night Thoughts (Suede Ltd. / Warner)
Shura - Nothing's Real (Polydor/Interscope)
Three Trapped Tigers - Silent Earthling (Superball)

Listen to this year's nominees on our Spotify playlist.