HAIL SAMPHA, THE PRIZE GUY

Mercury Prize winner Sampha says he will put his €28,000 cheque towards starting his own studio. The 28-year-old singer – whose album Process pipped Ed Sheeran and Stormzy’s records to the accolade – said he feels proud that his personal album was recognised by the judging panel at Thursday’s ceremony. “As an artist, you can kind of struggle with your self-esteem sometimes and you’re not quite sure if you’re going down the right road, so something like this definitely does give you a little bit of a boost,” said Londoner Sampha. “It’s taken me a while to feel emotionally stable enough to write my own record. I put a lot into the album, so it’s always great to be recognised for that.”