Grime star Skepta has edged out competition from red hot favourite David Bowie to win the 2016 Mercury Prize for his album Konnichiwa in London.
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All of the other acts performed on the night, with actor Michael C Hall performing David Bowie’s song Lazarus, which opens with the lyrics: “Look up here, I’m in heaven”.
After criticism surrounding the award’s diversity previous year, the judging panel overlooked the huge bookies favourite – David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ – in favour of United Kingdom grime artist and producer Skepta; a choice which has been widely welcomed.
The win caps a momentous year for grime music which has seen a resurgence since Dizzee Rascal won the Mercury Prize in 2003.
Having helped resurface grime, a spin-off hip-hop genre born in London, Skepta said, “I think that people are going to listen to grime more”.
The prize ensures the winning artist receives £25,000 and Skepta has said he wants to give his winnings back to the disadvantaged.
She performed the track “Drone Bomb Me” in full body paint with blood-like red strokes coming from her head, signing the lyrics: “Blow my head off/ Explode my crystal guts/ Lay my purple on the grass”. Talking about David Bowie, he said, “He would want the 2016 Hyundai Mercury Prize to go to…”
This was reduced to a final six during the ceremony which included Bowie, Radiohead, The 1975, Kiwanuka, Mvula and eventual victor Skepta. He added in reference to his fellow Mercury Prize nominee Kano: “Kano did this for us and the love is there”.
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At his lowest ebb, having been dropped by a major record label and with a close friend close to death, Skepta got an unexpected pick-me-up from one of the world’s biggest musicians, Adele.
