Lucy Skaer, who graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1997 and lives and works in the city, is one of those in the running.
She is joined by Richard Wright, who also lives and works in Glasgow and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1982.
Skaer’s work includes Leviathan Edge 2009, the skull of a sperm whale, just visible from behind a screen partitioned with “peep holes”.
Another of her works, Black Alphabet, 2008, is a series of 26 sculptures made from coal dust.
Wright’s display, described by Tate as his “most complex and ambitious composition to date”, includes a highly intricate gold-leaf pattern across one wall of the gallery.
The work took around three weeks to install and will be destroyed when the exhibition closes.
Italian-born Enrico David and Birmingham-born artist Roger Hiorns are the other artists in the running for the Turner Prize 2009, which has been described as a "classic" year.
Hiorns, who is interested in the problems of modernist social architecture, created the work Seizure last year.
Over the course of the year, Hiorns sealed a disused south London bedsit and filled it with 90,000 litres of liquid copper sulphate, which after a time encrusted each surface of the apartment with crystals.
The award has traditionally been won for controversial work.
Previous recipients include Gilbert and George, Damien Hirst and transvestite potter Grayson Perry.
When the shortlist was announced in April, judge Jonathan Jones, art critic for The Guardian, said: "I think it's going to be a classic Turner Prize, to remind people why it's such a great prize, and remind people why British art is so exciting."
Mr Jones said the prize had previously been accused of rewarding something other than talent.
He said of the 2009 shortlist: "It shows there is a great deal of talent in contemporary art.
"The making of art in Britain is very healthy and very exciting. There is something happening."
The award, in its 25th year, is given to a British artist under 50 for an outstanding exhibition or presentation of their work in the 12 preceding months.
Works by the shortlisted artists are going on display at Tate Britain.
The jury panel this year also includes Mariella Frostrup, Charles Esche and Andrea Schlieker.
Last year Mark Leckey won the £25,000 prize, with an exhibition that included cartoon characters such as Homer Simpson.
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