Benjamin Clementine wins 2015 Mercury Prize for his debut album

After being named as the 2015 victor, Clementine said he was lost for words, but it wasn’t long before his mind turned to the City of Lights.

He was raised in north London, but relocated to Paris with £60 to his name and was initially homeless as he busked to survive.

First-time nominee Benjamin Clementine’s acclaimed album At Least For Now is second favourite to win behind Jamie xx’s In Colour according to bookmakers William Hill.

After winning the award, Clementine told the gathered media, “I’m so surprised, blown away, it’s fantastic”. I learned a lot of things from Paris.

He said: “I realised that we’re all equal – it’s all about helping each other”.

Earlier, Clementine said the attacks which claimed the lives of 130 people, left him “heartbroken”.

“That’s how I felt – like a part of my family had been stolen from me”.

The shortlist was a “broad spectrum of greatness” according to Roisin Murphy, whose third record Hairless Toys caught the judges’ attention eight years after her last album.

She said: “It really helps an artist’s sense that they’ve really achieved something and that their work is recognised, even if it’s not necessarily the most commercially-successful album”.

The £20,000 (€29,000) prize recognises innovative albums produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Benjamin said his friendships were also sacrificed and for him, the creative process was about timing.

The 25-year-old’s debut album At Least For Now beat competition from the likes of Florence + The Machine, Wolf Ace and Supergrass star Gaz Coombes.