Artist and producer Roots Manuva was nominated for the Mercury Prize for album of the year back in 2002 (Picture: Adam Gasson/Redferns)
A couple has returned a prestigious Mercury Prize award to its rightful owner more than two decades after it was won – after finding it in their garden shed.
The fairytale end to the story saw rapper Roots Manuva post a picture of the gong, which he received back in 2002 after being nominated for album of the year, safely back in his possession 22 years after he was first given it.
He was in contention to clinch the coveted award for his second studio album, Run Come Save Me, which was also certified gold, alongside the likes of The Streets, Beverley Knight and that little-known music icon David Bowie.
The music star – real name Rodney Hylton Smith – took to X on Tuesday to reveal he’d been reunited with the prize thanks to the kindness of strangers.
‘Massive shout out to Anna and Alex who found my Mercury Prize in their shed in Sheffield and have sent it back to me!’ the 51-year-old tweeted, alongside a photo of the trophy in question.
He also revealed the note that was sent with it, which read: ‘Hi, found this award in our shed in Sheffield and thought you might want it back. Cheers, Anna + Alex x.’
The rapper and hip hop star was among a prestigious shortlist of nominees, which also included David Bowie (Picture: Naki/Redferns)
Roots showed off his nominee gong in its new home (Picture: X/@rootsmanuva)
Roots, who also posted a photo of in in its new home on his bookshelf next to his Sync Award, confirmed it had been a mistake on his part to leave it there after Walter Cundy responded: ‘Haha! Did you forget it when you moved?!’
‘Yep,’ the hip hop artist replied, while others shared their delight over the prize finding its way back to him.
He also shared the sweet note that revealed where the trophy had been (Picture: X/@rootsmanuva)
‘So pleased you got them [sic] back, Rod,’ shared @VonHitchofen, while Benjamin Bailey shared a picture of his Run Came Save Me LP, adding: ‘And what a banger it is!!’
The Mercury Prize is a renowned annual music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the UK or Ireland, first handed out in 1992 to Primal Scream for Screamadelica.
Ms Dynamite won for A Little Deeper the year Roots was nomianted, with other past winners including Pulp, Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys, sole two-timer PJ Harvey and current holders Ezra Collective.
Roots, pictured in 2016, took a three-year hiatus until 2021 after a health scare (Picture: Redferns)
Musician and producer Roots made his debut back in 1994, producing numerous albums and records since including album Slime & Reason, and songs Colossal Insight and Too Cold, both of which were UK top 40 hits.
Having collaborated with the likes of Massive Attack, Jungle, Gorillaz, Jamie Cullum and The Maccabees over the course of his career, his most recent album was 2015’s Bleeds.
He took a three-year hiatus starting in 2018, after spending six months in hospital after suffering a subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding on the brain, which left him memory loss and reduced mobility in his left leg.
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