British artist Little Simz has taken out the 2022 Mercury Prize with her fourth album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The rapper beat out the likes of Harry Styles, Sam Fender, Wet Leg, and more to win the 31st edition of the award.
“When it came down to it, the judges were so impressed by Sometimes I Might Be Introvert that everyone could get behind it,” the Mercury Prize judging panel said in a statement announcing the award. “This accomplished and complex yet entirely accessible album is the work of someone striving constantly to push herself.”
Little Simz – ‘Introvert’
“It deals with themes both personal and political while putting them against music that is as sophisticated as it is varied. The Mercury Prize is all about shining a light on albums of lasting value and real artistry. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert has both.”
Released in September 2021, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert was released in September 2021 to widespread acclaim, topping the UK Independent Albums and UK R&B Albums charts and peaking at number 40 in Australia. It was preceded by 2019’s Grey Area, an album that garnered Little Simz her first Mercury Prize nomination (ultimately won that year by Dave’s debut LP Psychodrama).
Announcing nominees in August, the 2022 Mercury Prize also had Joy Crookes, Self Esteem, Yard Act, Gwenno, Fergus McCreadie, Nova Twins, Kojey Radical, and Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler in competition. Originally scheduled to be handed out in early September, the Mercury Prize was postponed to October in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
Further Reading
Little Simz Gives Us ‘Feel Good Inc’ By Gorillaz For Like A Version
