Ezra Collective have won this year’s Mercury Prize, with their album Where I’m Meant To Be.
They beat acts including Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again to claim the prestigious award and the £25,000 prize at a star-studded ceremony held at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.
Ten of the 12 nominated acts played on stage ahead of the announcement, while live performance films were shown on screen to celebrate Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again, who were both unable to attend due to tour shows.
Judges this year included former nominees Anna Calvi and Hannah Peel, as well as other industry names such as musician Jamie Cullum, broadcaster and DJ MistaJam, and music critic Will Hodgkinson.
First won by Primal Scream’s Screamadelica in 1992, the Mercury Prize celebrates music by British and Irish acts and recognises the 12 best albums of the year, introducing records from a range of music genres to a wider audience.
The awards are known for celebrating different artists throughout all stages of their careers, from newcomers to veterans, and for potentially putting artists who are not huge names on the map.
Rapper Little Simz picked up the prize for her fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert last year, while other recent winners include Arlo Parks, Michael Kiwanuka, Dave and Wolf Alice.
