The 2020 Mercury prize for the year's best British album has gone to Michael Kiwanuka for his self-titled album, Kiwanuka. The award was announced on Thursday (September 24), and the folk-soul singer receives 25,000 pounds.

“I'm over the moon, so so excited,” he said on receiving the prize. “This is for art, for music, for albums. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do, so to win a Mercury is a dream come true.”

It was Kiwanuka's third attempt, having been nominated for each of his previous albums: Home Again (2012) and Love and Hate (2016). The winning album came out in November 2019 and draws equally from folk and soul, with songs about freedom, love and struggles both personal and collective.

One track samples protests from the 1960s US civil rights movement. In a review quoted by the paper, the record was described as a bold, expansive, heartfelt, sublime album.