James Blake scoops Mercury Music Prize

Having previously lost out in 2011 with his self-titled debut album, experimental Londoner James Blake is celebrating after sophomore effort Overgrown edged out stiff competition from David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys, Laura Mvula and Villagers to win the 2013 Mercury Music Prize.

Blake was something of an outsider at 25/1 but came through in the end.

“This is the first award I ever won apart from a tennis trophy I won when I was 12 years old,” he said. “I hold them in equal esteem.”

David Bowie, who did not attend the ceremony, came in for special praise from the winner.

"He's amazing to be in the running for this prize after so many albums," said Blake. "A lot of people do their best work when they're young. It's disappointing to me when people don't continue in that vein and don't innovate. David Bowie is an example to people like me who want to keep on innovating.”