Kerry's Jessie Buckley loses out as Mercury Prize goes to rapper Little Simz

The actress was nominated for 'Album of the Year' in June of this year

Bernard Butler and Jessie Buckley at the Mercury Prize 2022 awards show, at the Eventim Apollo in London. Picture: Ian West/PA

Little Simz has been announced as the overall winner of the 2022 Mercury Prize for ‘Album of the Year’. 

The British rapper and singer collected the winner’s trophy and cheque for £25,000 and then performed a song from the winning album Sometimes I Might be Introvert.

The judging panel said: "In a year that has, to put it mildly, presented rather a lot of challenges, British and Irish music has thrived more than ever. 

"That made it extremely hard for the judges to choose an overall winner from the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ on the shortlist, simply because all of them had so much to offer. They addded:

When it came down to it, the judges were so impressed by Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz that everyone could get behind it. This accomplished and complex yet entirely accessible album is the work of someone striving constantly to push herself.

Kerry actress Jessie Buckley was announced as one of the nominees for the prize for her album For All Our Days That Tear The Heart with Bernard Butler.

Buckley, who recently won an Olivier award for best actress following her role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, was announced as one of the shortlisted artists back in June of this year. 

Her album is described in an Irish Examiner review as a "dark and mysterious record that gives up its secrets reluctantly, and which demands earnest engagement and a willingness to delve deep".

Harry Styles secured his first nomination on a shortlist, featuring a host of other first-time nominees.

Former One Direction star turned solo artist Styles, 28, was nominated for his third solo studio album Harry’s House.

The 12-strong list in the running for the award, which recognises the best album of the year, also features Leeds-based rock group Yard Act for their debut studio album The Overload, and best rock alternative act Brit award winner Sam Fender’s Seventeen Going Under.

The shortlist for the Mercury Prize was narrowed down by a judging panel which this year included DJ Annie Mac, musician Jamie Cullum, broadcaster Jamz Supernova, songwriter Anna Calvi, broadcaster Danielle Perry, and musician Hazel Wilde. The judges said: 

Getting down to 12 albums this year was not easy, simply because there were so many remarkable ones to choose from.

“That serves as proof that British and Irish music thrives during unsettled periods in history, with the albums chosen covering everything from imaginative pop to pioneering rap to Cornish language folk-rock.

“We feel that these 12 amazing albums each have something to say artistically and socially, all in their own unique, enriching ways. Now comes the really hard part… choosing only one overall winner.”

The awards ceremony took place at the Eventim Apollo in London. 

The broadcasted event featured performances from shortlisted artists including KojeyRadical, Joy Crookes, and Sam Fender.