Mercury Prize winner Sampha said the prestigious award would be a self-esteem boost after penning the emotional record that landed him the accolade.
The singer-songwriter, who won the award for his album Process, said the win helped him know he had done the right thing releasing a solo record after years of collaborating with artists including Drake and Frank Ocean.
He told a press conference: “It has taken me quite a while to feel I was emotionally stable enough to write my own record and people have been incredibly lovely and understanding, and it’s been amazing, it feels like quite a weight off my shoulders.”
On the album, in which he sings about the loss of his mother to cancer, he added: “It was quite an insular record, talking about my internal issues.
“For me, I feel like I poured my heart and soul into the record. I was very honest with how I produced it.”
How beautiful was @sampha's performance? 💕 #MercuryPrize pic.twitter.com/Pt3k6138Pt
— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) September 14, 2017
He added: “As an artist, you can kind of struggle with your self esteem sometimes and you’re not quite sure if you’re going down the right road, so something like this does give you a boost.”
Asked how he might spend the £25,00 prize money, he said: “I kind of want a studio or put it way and save it up, saving is always good.”
