SKEPTA CROWNED
MERCURY 2016 WINNER

Independent grime artist Skepta has been crowned winner of 2016’s Mercury Music Prize in Blighty for his fourth album, Konnichiwa. He fought competition for the prize from bookies’ favourite David Bowie and innovative RCA artist Laura Mvula, who were the judge's second and third choices, respectively.

Skepta’s signed to his own imprint, Boy Better Know, and is distributed by Ian Dutt and Mike Chadwick’s Sony-owned Red Essential. Konnichiwa is the sixth independent release to win the prize over the last decade. Released in May, it hit #2 on the U.K. Chart and enjoyed top reviews. Mercury judges chose it for being "confident, funny, clever, scary, personal and political." It’s rocketed back into the iTunes Top 10 following the win, currently sitting at #5. Skepta does have one more major-label affiliation: he’s published by Warner/Chappell, which is soon to be helmed by Mike McCormack.

Alongside Skepta, the six finalists revealed yesterday at a ceremony in London were Mvula’s The Dreaming Room, The 1975’s I Like It When You Sleep… (Dirty Hit/Polydor), which won the fan vote, Bowie’s Blackstar (RCA), Radiohead for A Moon Shaped Pool (XL) and Michael Kiwanuka’s Love and Hate (Polydor).

Fun fact: Skepta’s real name is Joseph Adenuga, and he’s the brother of Beats 1 presenter Julie Adenuga and fellow London grime artist Jme.