Skepta Wins The 2016 Mercury Prize!

The Tottenham MC is the first Grime artist to win the Mercury Prize since Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in da Corner in 2003.

Friday, September 16, 2016 - 10:20

Skepta has won the 2016 Mercury Prize! The Grime revival shows no signs of slowing down as the MC won with Konnichiwa, an album (his fourth) that he recorded, produced and released himself.

The Tottenham MC is the first Grime artist to win the Mercury Prize since Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in da Corner in 2003.

Skepta – real name Joseph Junior Adenuga - was absolutely the right artist to take home the gong, and we weren't the only ones celebrating his win. Check out Skepta's Mum's dancing reaction:

On collecting the winner’s trophy and cheque for £25,000 the ‘Shutdown’ MC said, “The star is the person on the mic who always gets seen but I want to say thank you to every single person who made Konnichiwa happen.”

“Thank you to everybody who was there for me when I was going through depressed times. I don’t know man, I’m so thankful … With no record label we just travelled the world,” the grime star added.

Skepta also paid tribute to fellow grime artist Kano, whose album Made in the Manor was one of 2016’s best: “Kano did this for us and the love is there. Kano, love you for life man,” he said.

The judging panel (names listed below) said, “This is such a great record! Confident, funny, clever, scary, personal and political. Skepta makes music for our times”

Check out Skepta's performance of 'Shutdown' at the award show below: