PJ Harvey is now the favourite to win this year’s Mercury Prize with her album Let England Shake over 12 other shortlisted acts.
William Hill bookmakers had her odds to win at 6/1 with Adele, but now Harvey has overtaken the Rolling in the Deep singer with odds of 2/1.
A spokesman for William Hill said: “She has form in this competition and it appears we slightly underestimated how popular this album has been.”
The winner, who will be announced at the Mercury Awards on September 6, will get £20,000 prize money.
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Adele has previously been up for the prize with her debut album, 19, which was released in March 2008. She lost out to Elbow in the awards that year and their album The Seldom Seen Kid and, if the odds are anything to go by, another guitar-based act might beat her to the accolade.
Other acts shortlisted for the Mercury Prize this year are Anna Calvi, James Blake, Metronomy, Ghostpoet, Everything Everything, Katy B, Tinie Tempah, King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Elbow and Gwilym Simcock.
Harvey has already been awarded the prestigious Mercury Prize, back in 2001 but was unable to get to the ceremony because of the 9/11 attacks.
