Speech Debelle wins Mercury Music Prize
9th September 2009
Speech Debelle has won the Mercury Music Prize 2009 for her debut album Speech Therapy.
The singer beat the likes of La Roux and Kasabian, who were among the nominees up for this year's prize.
During her acceptance speech for the award Debelle congratulated her fellow artists, in addition to her family and the 'Big Dada Crew', with judges undoubtedly impressed with her sense of humour and word play on the new album.
Speaking after the event the south Londoner admitted that it was a pleasure to accept the award, with the selection given 'solely on the strength of the album', the Guardian reports.
'They announced my name and I didn't have time to react, I was being mobbed,' she added.
Other winners of the Albums of the Year 2009 included Florence and the Machine, Glasvegas and the Friendly Fires.
Speech Debelle is the first woman in seven years to take Mercury's top music prize.