And the 2022 Mercury Prize for best British album of the year goes to…. Little Simz for her album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’!

The Nigerian rapper beat fellow nominees Kojey Radical, Harry Styles, Nova Twins, Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Wet Leg, Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Yard Act to the gong, and Joy Crookes.

While accepting her award onstage, Little Simz said she was ‘very overwhelmed and grateful to receive the accolade.

‘To my family over here, my loved ones right here,’ she beamed. ‘I want to say a huge thank you to the Mercury for this incredible prize.

I want to say, thank you to my brother and close collaborator Inflo… he’s known me since I was so young, he’s stuck by me, we created this album together.

‘There were times in the studio when I didn’t know if I was going to finish this record, I was feeling all the emotions and really going through it. He stuck by me and pushed me to deliver this album for you guys.’

Little Simz also thanked her team and her fans…She continued: ‘And last but never ever least I want to big up all the other nominees tonight, all the other albums, from Joy (Crookes) to Kojey (Radical), Self Esteem, Wet Leg, all you guys are incredible.

‘We all made incredible albums, we all changed people’s lives with our music and that’s the most important thing.’

Little Simz, whose real name is Simbiatu ‘Simbi’ Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, collected her trophy and a cheque for £25,000 and then performed the track How Did You Get Here from her winning album.

The judging panel said ‘in a year that has, to put it mildly, presented rather a lot of challenges, British and Irish music has thrived more than ever.

‘That made it extremely hard for the judges to choose an overall winner from the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ on the 2022 Mercury Prize with Free Now shortlist, simply because all of them had so much to offer.

‘When it came down to it, the judges were so impressed by Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz that everyone could get behind it.

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 Mercury Prize is all about shining a light on albums of lasting value and real artistry. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert has both.’

Last year, Arlo Parks won the Mercury Prize for her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams.