Skip to content

Welsh Music Prize: Rapper Deyah wins award in 'unique' year

Welsh Music Prize Deyah's album coverWelsh Music Prize
Deyah's album covers topics from isolation to addiction and healing

Rapper Deyah has beaten Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys and 13 other entries to win this year's Welsh Music Prize.

Her album Care City scooped the 2020 prize at a "unique" digital ceremony, which included a special appearance from Hollywood film star Michael Sheen, for the award's 10th anniversary.

Judges said her "powerful" self-produced album "fused laid-back beats."

Her latest record tackles subjects such as addiction and isolation.

"With this album I want to educate people to live life without pressure of expectation," said the Cardiff MC.

The self-released Care City was a follow-up to her previous album Lover Loner, which was shortlisted for the 2019 prize - in the same year Deyah was added to BBC Introducing's Hot List for International Women's Day.

The panel of music industry experts said they selected the winner from a shortlist of 15 albums, showcasing the range of creative talent in and from Wales.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
1px transparent line

"Deyah's Care City impressed the judges immensely with her personal, poetic and intricately produced album," said BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, co-founder of the Welsh Music Prize.

"She's a young Welsh artist who is really making her mark on the music scene, and we're thrilled for her to be the 10th recipient of the Welsh Music Prize. Care City is a phenomenal listen, her words and flow are outstanding."

Presenters, artists, judges and jurors attended the event online, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and included a Damned United and Frost Nixon actor Michael Sheen.

Getty Images Michael SheenGetty Images
Michael Sheen made a special appearance in the "unique" digital award ceremony

"The incredible richness, the imagination, the creativity that is represented by all the nominees this year is extraordinary," he said.

"I've been blown away by it. It makes me feel incredibly proud to know that people across the world are able to get a window into who we are in Wales through this music, because you are our voice internationally."

Previous Welsh Music Prize winners include Boy Azooga, Gwenno and Gruff Rhys.