Little Simz was named the winner of the 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW at the rescheduled ceremony last night, taking home the £25,000 prize for her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.
The Mercury Prize with FREE NOW Albums of the Year celebrate and promote the best of British and Irish music recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres. The live show at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo featured performances from 11 of the 12 shortlisted Albums of the Year. Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Sam Fender, Gwenno, Fergus McCreadie, Joy Crookes, Kojey Radical, Little Simz, Nova Twins, Self Esteem, Wet Leg and Yard Act all appeared in person, while Harry Styles appeared in a filmed live performance as he is currently on tour in the US.
Speaking on the judging process, the Mercury Prize 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.'
Accepting the award, Little Simz said, ‘Glory to God – God thank you so much; to my family over here, my loved ones right here. I want to say a huge thank you to the Mercury and Free Now for this incredible, incredible prize. I want to say a thank you to my brother and close collaborator, Inflo. Flo has known me since I was so young, he’s stuck by me, we created this album together. There were times in the studio that I didn’t know if I was going to finish this record. I was feeling all the emotions and really going through it, and he stuck by me and pushed me to deliver this album for you guys.’
