Little Simz has been awarded the 2022 Mercury Prize for her expansive fourth studio album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The ceremony, hosted by Lauren Laverne, went ahead earlier this week after its last-minute cancellation in September due to the Queen’s passing.
Self-described by the organisation as the “music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art”, the Mercury Prize highlights 12 standout British and Irish albums each year. As the only second-time nominee on the shortlist, previously nominated for Grey Area in 2019, the 28-year-old beat a broad selection of talent.
Alongside Little Simz, the shortlist this year was formed of Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Harry Styles, Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Joy Crookes, Kojey Radical, Nova Twins, Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Wet Leg, and Yard Act.
The rapper is the 31st winner of this prestigious award, which began in 1992, with previous recipients including Arlo Parks for Collapsed in Sunbeams, Wolf Alice for Visions Of A Life and Ms. Dynamite for A Little Deeper.
Due to the exceptional talent on display this year, the panel found it difficult to separate each album from the others, but together they praised Little Simz’ stand-out work. “This accomplished and complex, yet entirely accessible album, is the work of someone striving constantly to push herself. It deals with themes both personal and political while putting them against music that is as sophisticated as it is varied”.
The prize sums up a fantastic year for the rapper, who won Best Newcomer at the Brits earlier this year, despite her already-lauded catalogue of music. As she accepted, she paid tribute to her family, the other nominees, and the awards. “There was times in the studio when I didn’t know if I was going to finish, I was feeling all the emotions and really going through it”. A deserved win.
Words by Martha Lily Dean
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