UK grime MC Skepta has won the 2016 Mercury Prize, the annual music award given to the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Skepta’s fourth studio album Konnichiwa was up against the latest A+ releases from Radiohead, David Bowie, ANOHNI, Laura Mvula, Michael Kiwanuka, Bat For Lashes and Kano.
Skepta is the first grime MC to win the award since Dizzy Rascal took out the prize in 2003, for his album Boy In Da Corner.
As Fact reports, upon receiving the award Skepta said, “I’ve been trying to do this music stuff and work it out for so long, but it was the moment where like, yo, let’s do this for ourselves, for our family. We travelled the world, no record label, nothing. We just did this for us, but the love is very appreciated”.
After his speech, Skepta moved into a performance of Man after giving a shoutout to David Bowie and Amy Winehouse.
Check out the full list of this year’s Mercury Prize nominees, below.
Watch: Skepta – ‘Shutdown’
2016 Mercury Prize Nominees
Skepta – Konnichiwa — WINNER
ANOHNI – Hopelessness
Bat for Lashes – The Bride
David Bowie – Blackstar
Jamie Woon – Making Time
Kano – Made in the Manor
Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room
Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Savages – Adore Life
The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
The Comet Is Coming – Channel the Spirits
