Speech Debelle has won the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the Year for her record "Speech Therapy". With stiff competition from the likes of Florence and The Machine, Friendly Fires and Bat For Lashes, Speech's confidence never wavered and she came through with the kind of aplomb which made it seem like she'd been walking red carpets for years.
The Big Dada entourage, meanwhile, jumped on the tables, spilt drinks and partied with little thought for the feelings of the great and the grey of the UK music industry gathered around them. So today, nursing gigantic hangovers, the Big Dada collective raise a glass of alkaseltzer to the Mercury Prize organisers, the panel of judges, all their supporters out there and most of all the Speech herself! Salut!
Watch the '2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize' 11.40pm on Friday, 11 September 2009 On BBC Two Television.
Performing And Presenting Awards @ Street League – Thursday 10th September
Between 12-3pm 10/09/2009 Speech Debelle will be attending the "Street League" women 5-a-side football competition on Kennington Park Astroturf, London to do an impromptu performance with The Therapists and hand out awards.
"Street League" is an organisation started in 2001 to help women from various disadvantaged backgrounds including homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, displacement, unemployment, crime, learning difficulties and mental health. It aims to bring them back into education and training, centered around the activity of football. More info here http://www.streetleague.co.uk