Little Simz wins 2022 Mercury Prize for ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’
"Wow. I’m very very overwhelmed, I’m very grateful," the London rapper and actor said at last night's ceremony in London
Little Simz has won the 2022 Mercury Prize for her 2021 album 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'. Watch her performance of her performance of 'How Did You Get Here?' below.
Introduced by Jamz Supernova, a member of this year's judging panel, Little Simz emotionally accepted the Mercury Prize at the ceremony last night, 18th October at Eventim Apollo in London. "Wow. I’m very very overwhelmed, I’m very grateful," she said. "Glory to God – God thank you so much."
In addition to thanking her family and the prize panel, Little Simz spent time acknowledging her producer and childhood friend Inflo. "I wanna say a thank you to my brother and close collaborator Inflo," she said. "Flo [has] known me since I was so young, he's stuck by me, we created this album together. There was times in the studio I didn't know if I was gonna finish this record, I was going through all the emotions… He stuck by me."
The judging panel said in a statement that 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert' signified a work that proves to have "lasting value and real artistry". "In a year that has, to put it mildly, presented rather a lot of challenges, British and Irish music has thrived more than ever," the panel said. "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."
Mercury Prize winners receive a check for £25,000. Earlier this year, Little Simz cancelled her spring tour of North American, plainly speaking about the "huge deficit" of touring costs and the lack of financial viability for independent artists.
The night's other nominee shortlist includes Kojey Radical, Joy Crookes, Self Esteem, Wet Leg, Gwenno, Nova Twins and Harry Styles. The ceremony was initially planned to take place on 8th September but was delayed hours before it was due to start after news broke that Queen Elizabeth II had died. This year's awards partner was mobility app
Watch Little Simz' acceptance speech and her performance of 'How Did You Get Here?'.
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