The judges have debated, the votes have been tallied, and the results are in: rapper Lemfreck, real name Lemarl Freckleton, has won the 2024 edition of the Welsh Music Prize.
The rapper, who heralds from the Welsh city of Newport, scooped the prestigious award, granted to the best album made in Wales (or by Welsh people around the world) in the last 12 months, at a ceremony held at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre on 8 October.
The award is one of the most esteemed within the Welsh music industry, and is accompanied by a £10,000 cash prize. It has been running since 2011, and was co-founded by BBC radio presenter Huw Stephens.
Lemfreck’s winning album, Blood, Sweat and Fears, is the artist’s second album, with his debut offering, The Pursuit, making the shortlist of the Welsh Music Prize in 2022. The latest album is a reflection on the 30 year old’s experiences growing up in Newport, and has been described by Buzz Magazine as a ‘15-track opus’ that hangs together ‘with an almost cinematic pacing’. The same article goes on to describe Lemfreck’s musical approach as ‘an offhand, near-mutter MC style that can convey deep thought and lurking menace’.
Other artists featured in this year’s shortlist for the award include Gruff Rhys – who won the inaugural Welsh Music Prize in 2011 – with his latest album Sadness Sets Me Free, and seasoned rockers Skindred, also from Newport, with their album Smile, which reached number two in the UK album charts. There is also a swathe of debut releases featured in the shortlist, showcasing the depth of Wales’ new music scene. These include Aleighcia Scott’s Windrush Baby, CHROMA’s Ask for Angela and Elkka’s Prism of Pleasure.
Speaking on stage after winning this year’s prize, Lemfreck said, ‘Thanks to my mum and my dad – as a young black kid growing up, they constantly told me I could do anything and be anything.’
After dedicating his win to his community in Newport, Lemfreck added, ‘I’d like to talk about how important representation is…it’s not a box tick when artists like myself win awards like this – it’s a confirmation of art.’
This year, the Welsh Music Prize ceremony, which is supported by Creative Wales, also served as the curtain-raiser for the Llais festival, a Cardiff-based music and arts festival taking place from 8-13 October.
Learn more about the music scene in Wales, or read about Huw Stephens’ recent project to select his favourite 100 Welsh albums of all time.