Sampha, the south London singer-songwriter and producer, has won the 2017 Mercury Prize with his debut album Process. The result was announced on Thursday (September 14), and the award is one of the most prestigious in British music.

For a long time he was better known as a guest vocalist on other people's songs than for his own work. Process changed that, presenting a voice and a writing style that had appeared in features but never with so much room.

The album is described as an R&B meditation on grief and fear. According to the paper, the prize should propel him further into the spotlight.