Ms Dynamite's victory blasts Mercury norms (original) (raw)

North London's 21-year-old rapping prodigy, Ms Dynamite, last night added the £20,000 Mercury Music prize to an increasingly crowded mantlepiece of gongs.

Ms Dynamite - Niomi Daley - an MC from Kentish Town, north London, who began her rapping career as a teenager with a slot on pirate radio is balancing six nominations for next month's Music of Black Origin Awards, as well as winning best newcomer in the UK Garage awards.

Unusually, the Mercury jury of industry leaders, musicians and critics were easily united on the award for best British album of the year - a prize intended to reward originality and talent, regardless of commercial success.

Daley is the first solo black woman to win the Mercury after past juries were knocked for favouring too many white, male and safe artists. Her debut album, A Little Deeper, was praised for transforming the face of urban music, and providing a British voice to counter too many "copycat American sounds".

After playing a live set in which the sound initially failed her, a stunned Daley accepted the award from jazz player, Courtney Pine.

"I don't know what to say. I've never been speechless before. Thank you," she said. She later pledged to give her prize to charity: "I don't know what charity yet. I'll have a think about that. People that need it."

Simon Frith, who chaired the judges, said Britain had a terrible reputation for building its own native R&B singers but neglecting them.

He said: "This is a great record. It is a new kind of voice we hadn't heard before. Ms Dynamite has a clear vision of what she wants to be. She can do it without being drawn into the cliches of the music industry."

Daley beat a 12-strong shortlist including David Bowie, the Manchester trio, Doves, and the bookies' favourite, The Streets, (Mike Skinner) who recorded his garage album - featuring raps about kebabs and car parks - at his mother's Birmingham home.

Illustrating the record industry's fascination for urban hardship, Daley had a troubled childhood after her father walked out on her Scottish mother and siblings. She rose to fame after MCing on a track with the controversial garage band, So Solid Crew, whose gigs have sometimes been marred by violence. But as Ms Dynamite, Daley fires broadsides at "gansta culture", drug dealers and black-on-black violence.

Daley is only the second woman to win the Mercury prize in its 11-year history, after the Yeovil-born singer, PJ Harvey won last year.