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Sampha talks to 6 Music on winning the Mercury Music Prize

Sampha tell 6 Music Breakfast's Matt Everitt about his joy in winning the prize

The Mercury Music Prize took place last night at Hammersmith Apollo with Sampha winning the prize for his debut album Process.

Five artists from South London on this year's shortlist of 12 albums, voted for on the strength of an album as a whole body of work.

The soul singer beat Stormzy, Kate Tempest, Ed Sheeran, The Big Moon, Alt J, Loyle Carner, Dinosaur, J Hus, Blossoms, The XX and Glass Animals taking home the £25,000 prize in what was apparently the “longest ever” deliberation in the prize's history.

Sampha emerged on My Space almost a decade ago and was quickly sought out by dance producers appearing on records by SBTRKT and Jessie Ware, later becoming hot property with massive US singers heard on Beyonce's Mine, Drake's Too Much and Solange's Don't Touch My Hair.

His own debut took 10 years to appear, as he cared for his mother who died of cancer. Process ruminates on the grief he felt after that.

Idris Elba joined host 6 Music's Lauren Laverne to deliver the news so let's hear how it all unfolded with 6 Music Breakfast's Matt Everitt getting his reaction straight after the announcement...

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Duration:

4 minutes