Sampa The Great Scores $30,000 Aus Music Prize

Sydney-based rapper Sampa The Great, aka Sampa Tembo, has taken out the 2017 Australian Music Prize and its accompanying $30,000.

The Zambia artist emerged victorious with her compelling album Birds And The BEE9, among a star-studded shortlist that also featured Paul Kelly, Jordan Rakei, Jen Cloher and more.

“I didn’t see any of this in my periphery when coming to Australia. It really means a lot to me thank you,” Tembo said at today’s Melbourne ceremony.

Read more:

• What Separates The Australian Music Prize From Other Awards
• Paul Kelly & Jen Cloher Head Up AMP's Best Album Of 2017 Shortlist

The 13th Australian Music Prize was decided by a panel of expert industry judges, including the likes of Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner, Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson and The Music’s Bryget Chrisfield.

With the $30,000 prize being courtesy of PPCA, CEO Dan Rosen described the release as “a remarkable album and a worthy addition to the growing list of AMP winners that have left their mark on the Australian music scene”.

“We hope PPCA’s $30,000 contribution will assist in developing Sampa The Great’s career and help take her music to the world,” Rosen said.

Sampa The Great joins previous winners AB Original (2016), Courtney Barnett (2015), Remi (2014) and more.