Rapper Speech Debelle scooped the prestigious Mercury Prize on Tuesday, beating favourite Florence and the Machine.
Speech Debelle won the 20,000-pound award for her debut album "Speech Therapy", which deals with her south London upbringing, including a spell of homelessness.
"I feel so good. It feels better than I imagined. My family's here. My friends are here. I'm from south London -- I don't get emotional -- I'm emotional," the 25-year-old said at the ceremony in London.
"This proves if you believe in something and you think you can do it, you can achieve it."
The artist spent time living in a hostel after her parents asked her to leave home in her teens after a troubled period of her life.
Florence and the Machine -- starring fellow female singer Florence Welch -- had been the bookmakers' favourite ahead of the ceremony, while Bat For Lashes -- singer-songwriter Natasha Khan -- was also highly fancied.
The Mercury Prize organisers claim it is Europe's top arts award in terms of influence and media coverage. Winning, or even being shortlisted, usually sparks a surge in sales.
The prize is known for representing an eclectic range of styles, but usually leans towards indie and rock music.
Speech Debelle, who was chosen by an independent panel of judges, joins an exclusive club of past winners including Arctic Monkeys, Portishead, Pulp and Franz Ferdinand. Manchester band Elbow won last year's award.
Copyright 2009 AFP Global Edition
