The UK MC’s album Konnichiwa has beaten the frontrunner, David Bowie’s Blackstar, to win this year’s Mercury Prize
Skepta has won the Mercury Prize. The former Crack Magazine cover star has won the £25,000 award beating out stiff competition including David Bowie’s Blackstar, ANOHNI’s Hopelessness, Savages’ Adore Life and Radiohead‘s A Moon Shaped Pool.
Upon receiving his prize the shocked MC 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”.
He also took a moment to thank fellow nominated grime MC Kano, saying “Kane – for life bro – we did it.” Before paying respect to his elders, “And lastly, my mum and dad, and all my friends mums and dads – because they made us, they gave us that voice in our head that’s talking to keep us in line to keep us in check.”
Read our cover feature with Skepta here and check out what we made of this year’s nominees in our rundown of the 2016 Mercury nominees.