Little Simz was announced tonight, Tuesday, 18 October 2022, as the overall winner of the 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW for ‘Album of the Year’. The Awards Show was hosted by Lauren Laverne and guest presenter, Jamz Supernova announced the overall winner on behalf of the judging panel. The event was held at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.
Little Simz collected the winner’s trophy and cheque for £25,000 and then performed a song from the winning album ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’.
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.’
The Show featured live performances from 11 of the 2022 shortlisted ‘Albums of the Year’: Fergus McCreadie, Gwenno, Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Joy Crookes, Kojey Radical, Little Simz, Nova Twins, Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Wet Leg and Yard Act. A filmed live performance was shown to celebrate Harry Styles’ album, as he is currently on a major US tour.
The Prize’s broadcast partner, BBC Music, provided live television and radio coverage of the event. BBC Four broadcast ‘Mercury Prize 2022 with FREE NOW – Album of the Year’ from 9 -10.15pm and Tom Ravenscroft hosted a special show, Mercury Prize 2022 Live, from 7pm – 12am on BBC Radio 6 Music.
FREE NOW, the Mobility Super App, with the largest vehicle choice for consumers across Europe, is the new headline sponsor of the Mercury Prize. The sponsorship is part of a multi-year commitment from FREE NOW to support British music.
Amazon Music are the digital music partner of the 2022 Mercury Prize. The music streaming service, which gives music fans access to over 90 million songs alongside podcasts, livestreamed events and exclusive editorial content, supported the Mercury Prize shortlisted artists with playlists and programming from the launch of the shortlist until the Awards Show.
As part of its long-term commitment to supporting UK recorded music, renowned British premium audio brand, Bowers & Wilkins, continues as the official audio partner of the Mercury Prize. At the forefront of music creation for over 40 years, it is uniquely placed to help the Mercury Prize celebrate the album format and the shortlisted artists’ creative achievements.
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 2022 Mercury Prize with FREE NOW ‘Albums of the Year’ are:
Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’
Gwenno ‘Tresor’
Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler ‘For All Our Days That Tear the Heart’
Joy Crookes ‘Skin’
Kojey Radical ‘Reason to Smile’
Little Simz ‘Sometimes I Might be Introvert’
Nova Twins ‘Supernova’
Sam Fender ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wet Leg ‘Wet Leg’
Yard Act ‘The Overload’
Photo credit: John Marshall
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