In a move that no doubt had the bookies howling at their tellies, Speech Debelle, once the outsider, was awarded the 2009 Mercury Music Prize. The favourites were Florence & the Machine, but also expected to do better than the relatively unknown London girl were Kasabian, Glasvegas and LaRoux.
All the nominees had to perform for the judges and, after winning, Speech Debelle, real name Corynne Eliott, sang ‘The Key’ from her album. ‘Speech Therapy’.
On receiving the cheque, Debelle thanked “whoever’s name was on the cheque” and when asked what she’d be spending the £20,000 prize on, she responded “I’ve got bills to pay” and added she’d probably invest it. Debelle seemed uncomfortable with “all these interviews they want me to do”. She’d best get used to it.
Debelle, who wrote the album whilst living as a teenager in a hostel, thanked her mum, her collaborators and her agent and said she was inspired by Ms Dynamite’s win, which made her realise she could succeed. Debelle is the first woman to win in seven years since Ms Dynamite’s 2002 success with her album ‘A Little Deeper’.
The Mercury Prize is given to the album that, regardless of sales or popularity, is considered by a panel of industry figures to be the best produced that year. Having previously not had much of an effect on the charts, Debelle can expect her sales to have a welcome boost from the prestigious prize.
What do you think? Did the right artist win the award? Let us know your thoughts below.
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In a move that no doubt had the bookies howling at their tellies, Speech Debelle, once the outsider, was awarded the 2009 Mercury Music Prize. The favourites were Florence & the Machine, but also expected to do better than the relatively unknown London girl were Kasabian, Glasvegas and LaRoux.
