Speech Debelle Wins U.K.’s Mercury Prize

Hip-hop artist Speech Debelle won the prestigious Mercury Prize for music Tuesday night – joining a notable list of past winners such as Gomez, Pulp, Badly Drawn Boy and PJ Harvey.

Debelle’s record, Speech Therapy, beat 11 other albums, including entries by La Roux, Glasvegas, Florence and the Machine, Kasabian, Friendly Fires and Bat for Lashes.

Watch Debelle’s post-victory press conference below!

“It means a lot to me because it’s an award judges give solely on the strength of the album,” she said.

“Before they said my name I had a moment of doubt, I thought ‘what if I don’t win? What about all the people who supported me?’ and then they announced my name and I didn’t have time to react, I was being mobbed.”

Debelle’s Mercury win is being hailed as well-deserved, but still surprising considering her debut album has sold fewer than 3,000 copies. Then again, the Mercury Prize has always been a bit topsy-turvy, leaning towards the unexpected choice as opposed to more well-established acts. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Though they did pick DJ Roni Size over Radiohead in ’97. Odd choice to say the least.

Via a report from NME, Debelle said in a post-win speech that she would like to work with Kings Of Leon.

“One of my favourite bands is Kings Of Leon”, the London rapper, who won with her album Speech Therapy, said. ”So hopefully I’m going to work with them.”

Debelle said she thought her album deserved to win and outlined plans to launch her own label. She also credited urban artist Ms Dynamite with inspiring her to succeed.

The Mercury judges said she was a “remarkable new voice in British hip-hop, tough, warm and reflective.” One judge, the broadcaster and conductor Charles Hazlewood added: “She’s just quietly telling her stories in the most beguiling way.”

Debelle – real name Corynne Eliot – accepted the award at a big ceremony Tuesday night at London’s Grosvenor House.

The Mercury Prize, awarded annually since 1992, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland. Debelle, a 26-year-old from south London, takes home a prize of 20,000 pounds ($32,820); no doubt the press coverage and bump in album sales trumps the monetary prize.

Debelle is the first woman to win the award since rapper Ms. Dynamite in 2002.