RAPPER Speech DeBelle last night landed the Mercury Prize for her album, Speech Therapy, inspired by a spell of homelessness.
She won the coveted prize ahead of 11 other shortlisted acts at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London, and her victory saw her follow in the footsteps of acts such as Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys and last year’s victors, Elbow.
The south Londoner spent time living in a hostel after her parents asked her to leave home in her teens after a troubled period in her life.
The award – fully called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize – is designed to reward the best album of the past 12 months and is worth £20,000.
DeBelle said last night: “I feel so good. It feels better than I imagined. My family’s here. My friends are here.
“This proves if you believe in something and you think you can do it, you can achieve it.”
