Shortlist Music Prize reveals finalists

Contenders for top US indie music prize include Arcade Fire, Burial, Feist, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Spoon, Stars, Wilco, and Working for a Nuclear Free City.

The Shortlist Music Prize has never shied away from bestowing America's top indie music honor on international talent, having picked Icelandic group Sigur Ros and Irish singer Damien Rice in years past.

This year should be no different, as the 10 finalists for the prize, announced this week, include three Canadian entries, two British groups, a French duo, and a Sri Lankan rapper, along with three American bands.

The finalists for the Shortlist prize, which seeks to honor the year's best album that hasn't sold more than 500,000 copies in the US, includes Canada's Arcade Fire, which was nominated for its sophomore album, Neon Bible. iPod ad darling and fellow Canadian Feist is up for The Reminder, while Stars rounded out the contenders from the Great White North with In Our Bedroom After the War.

Acclaimed and anonymous British dubstep producer Burial made the cut with Untrue, while UK electronic quartet Working for a Nuclear Free City's Businessmen and Ghosts did as well.

Kala, the sophomore effort from Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A., was also nominated, as was the debut album of French electronic duo Justice. Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver, and Wilco's Sky Blue Sky round out the list.

The 10 finalists were selected from the initial Long List of 54 nominated albums by a panel of five Listmakers: recording artists Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) and Ronnie Vannucci (the Killers), journalist Rev. Moose (CMJ), radio DJ Chris Douridas (KCRW) and the hosts of Hunnypot Internet Radio.

The winner of the seventh annual Shortlist Music Prize will be announced in February. Past winners include Cat Power, N*E*R*D, TV on the Radio, and Sufjan Stevens.

Finalists for Sixth Annual Shortlist Music Prize:

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Burial – Untrue

Feist – The Reminder

Justice – Cross

LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver

M.I.A. – Kala

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Working for a Nuclear Free City – Businessmen and Ghosts