2016 really is the year of grime.
It was widely forecasted that this year’s Mercury Prize – famously difficult to predict – would be awarded to the late David Bowie, whose final album Blackstar was released to critical acclaim three days before he died of cancer in January.
But the night would belong to Skepta, the Tottenham-born star, who in winning the £25,000 prize for his fourth studio album Konnichiwa became the first hip-hop artist to do so since Dizzee Rascal in 2003.
As well as Bowie, Skepta’s self-released, politically-charged album beat off competition from the likes of Radiohead, The 1975 and fellow grime pioneer Kano, who he acknowledged in a memorable acceptance speech.
Before Jarvis Cocker handed out the award, he poignantly noted that David Bowie would no doubt be looking down in approval of the winner.
"If David Bowie was looking down on the Hammersmith Apollo tonight, he would want the #MercuryPrize to go to…." pic.twitter.com/ifqqxKCR8I
— BBC Sounds (@BBCSounds) September 15, 2016
After receiving a rapturous ovation as he made his way to the stage, Skepta took the mic and said: “I’m just so thankful. I’ve been trying to do this music stuff and work it out for so long… I was like’ let’s do it for ourselves’. All these songs, we’ve travelled the world – no record label, nothing. We just did this for us but the love is very appreciated.”
He thanked just about everybody important to him before concluding with a tribute to his parents, who (brilliantly) joined him on stage.
WE LOVE MRS ADENUGA 😍 (cc: @claraamfo) #MercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/VPeroujBi4
— BBC Sounds (@BBCSounds) September 15, 2016
“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….
“We all won today. Konichiwa!”
This is how the internet reacted.
"Why would Bowie want Skepta to win?" #MercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/oIRy2T9z9C
— pedro pedro bonito (@pretzelaf) September 15, 2016
A GRIME album beat Radiohead and Bowie. Let that sink for a sec #MercuryPrize 💥
— Joseph JP Patterson (@Jpizzledizzle) September 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/blinkclyro/status/776530140255887360
https://twitter.com/MY57R0/status/776543549785530368
https://twitter.com/CurlyAndKickin/status/776542851110957060
https://twitter.com/Yusuf_M_Yusuf/status/776542436696977409
