English grime heavyweight Skepta has won this year’s Mercury Prize, the annual award for the best album from the U.K. and Ireland. He received the honor for his May album, Konnichiwa, which housed the successful singles “Shutdown” and “Man.” He’ll take home a cool £25,000 in prize money.
Skepta’s win came as a something of a surprise to bookmakers, who expected a posthumous honor for David Bowie‘s ?, or perhaps a nod for ANOHNI’s Hopelessness. Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool and the 1975‘s I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it were also seen as likely contenders. Other nominees included Bat for Lashes, Laura Mvula, and Savages.
Radiohead have never won a Mercury despite five nominations, prompting the BBC to prepare a chart of artists to whom they’ve lost. Looks like it’s time to update that one.
AND THE WINNER IS… @Skepta!!! 🎉🔥?🏆 pic.twitter.com/r8Wx1NKZP5
— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) 15 septembre 2016
