Damon Albarn's band Gorillaz are favourites for the Mercury Music Prize – despite being nominated against their will.

The band want to be removed from the shortlist for the prize, but bosses of their label Parlophone said that the group are still in the running.

Their release, Gorillaz, is one of 12 albums – by bands such as Radiohead and Super Furry Animals – shortlisted.

Albarn assembled the group, which features his illustrator friend Jamie Hewlett, as a change from his work with Blur. The members appear as cartoons in videos and often hide when performing live.

A statement from their publicists said: "Anarchic zombie hip-pop collective Gorillaz have refused the nomination."

But a Mercury spokesman said: "As far as we're concerned the record is still in the running for the prize."