James Blake was crowned the winner of this year’s Mercury Prize for his second album Overgrown - shortly after Lauren Laverne mistakenly introduced him as slushy crooner James Blunt.
The 25-year-old singer beat bookie favourites Laura Mvula and Disclosure and stars like David Bowie and Arctic Monkeys to be announced the winner of the £20,000 at a ceremony at the Roundhouse, in Camden, London.
Judges praised the sophomore album, released back in March, for being “inventive, poetic and poignant”, adding: “James Blake makes music like no-one else.”
Speaking backstage, the 25-year-old said he felt “jubilant and confused”, adding: ”This is the first award I’ve ever won apart from a tennis trophy I won when I was 12.”
The singer-songwriter had previously been nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2011 for his self-titled debut album.
David Bowie premiered his new video at the awards, which was made for a recession-busting $12.99.
