Ya boi Sampha has beaten out some tough competition to bag the 2017 Mercury Prize for his debut album, Process.
The British soulman has taken out the £25,000 (around AUD$42,000) cash reward for his sombre and mournful LP, which explores the grief he processed (no pun intended) following his mother’s death from cancer.
“I feel like I’m dreaming!” Sampha said after accepting the huge accolade from actor Idris Elba, before thanking his mum and dad for giving him “the best upbringing possible”.
In her review of Process, Music Feeds contributor Cyclone Wehner described the album as “personal, pensive and cathartic”.
Process beat out a handful of other huge albums from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Glass Animals, alt-J and The xx for this year’s Mercury gong, and the honour has definitely not been lost on him.
Watch Sampha’s Mercury Prize acceptance speech below, alongside the full list of nominees.
2017 Mercury Prize Nominees
Alt-J – ‘Relaxer’
Blossoms – ‘Blossoms’
Dinosaur – ‘Together, As One’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Divide’
Glass Animals – ‘How To Be A Human Being’
J Hus – ‘Common Sense’
Kate Tempest – ‘Let Them Eat Chaos’
Loyle Carner – ‘Yesterday’s Gone’
Sampha – ‘Process’ – WINNER
Stormzy – ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’
The Big Moon – ‘Love In The Fourth Dimension’
The xx – ‘I See You’
