Arlo Parks has won the Mercury Prize 2021 for her debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’.
Parks beat the likes of Wolf Alice, Mogwai and Celeste to have her album crowned the winner of the 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize Award, which annually awards the Best British Album of the year.
The award makes Parks the first winner of the Mercury Prize to be born in the 21st Century.
‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ won the award over albums from the likes of Wolf Alice, Mogwai and Celeste, with the young star being awarded a £25,000 prize in the process at the ceremony in Hammersmith, where she grew up.
The album was praised by critics, which included the likes of Annie Mac and Michael Kiwanuka among the judging panel, for its demonstration of ‘how to be quietly strong in a world of extrovert noise.’
whynow writer, Sophie Walker, has described the album as ‘a universal, and yet incredibly personal window into a world of the agony of the first flush of queer love, navigating mental illness and the darker moments of self-doubt, while basking in the sunshine of optimism for a brighter future.’
Upon receiving the award, which left the Parks ‘completely speechless’, the singer explained: ‘It took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get here and there were moments where I wasn’t sure whether I would make it through – but I am here today so thank you very much.’
Previous winners of the award include James Blake, Dave and Portishead.
