British singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks won the 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize for her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams. Parks was in a category of 12 talented nominees that included Celeste, Wolf Alice, Laura Mvula, Berwyn, Floating Points, Ghetts, Hannah Peel, Mogwai, Nubya Garcia, Sault, and Black Country, New Road.
Annie Macmanus presented Parks with the award, describing her as “an artist with a singular voice who uses lyrics of remarkable beauty to confront complex themes of mental health and sexuality, and who connects deeply with their generation in doing so. This is an artist who demonstrated how to be quietly strong in a world of extrovert noise, who expertly reflects the plurality of contemporary British life in their songs.”
“Wow, I’m completely speechless,” Parks shared as she accepted her award, thanking her family, team, and the Transgressive record label. “This is something that came with a lot of hard work from a lot of different people. . . It took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get here, and there were moments where I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through but I’m here today, so thank you very much.”
