|
 The 21-year-old, whose songs
address mental health and sexual identity, beat
off 11 other contenders across a range of music
genres for the prize, which is considered less
mainstream than the annual BRIT Awards.
"I'm completely speechless," Parks said in her
acceptance speech at the awards ceremony in
London.
"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."
Parks, whose real name is Anaïs Oluwatoyin
Estelle Marinho, rose to fame in the past year
and released "Collapsed in Sunbeams" in January.
She has described it as "a series of vignettes
and intimate portraits surrounding my
adolescence and the people that shaped it. It is
rooted in storytelling and nostalgia."
First handed out to rockers Primal Scream in
1992, the annual 25,000 pounds ($34,587) prize
shortlists 12 albums released by British and
Irish acts in the United Kingdom in the past
year.
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 This year's nominees included
composer Hannah Peel, jazz musician Nubya
Garcia, rappers Ghetts and Berwyn and electronic
music artist Floating Points' collaboration with
Pharoah Sanders and The London Symphony
Orchestra.
Other contenders were singer-songwriters Celeste
and Laura Mvula, elusive music collective Sault,
rock bands Mogwai and Black Country, New Road
and 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice.
($1 = 0.7228 pounds)
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by
Richard Chang)
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