Men Of The Year: James Blake

The self-deprecating Newsnight-baiter and 2013 Mercury Music Prize winner

Whether ribbing a Newsnight presenter for asking if his music was ‘chillaxing’, or dazzling with his singular electro, 6ft 5in singer/songwriter/producer James Blake has a knack for standing out from the crowd...

Have you gone a bit ‘Hollywood’ since winning the Mercury?

Slicking my hair back and wearing sunglasses all the time? There’s nothing Hollywood about the Mercury.

How did you prepare for the night?

Gingerly. I was not expecting to win and worried that not winning a second time [Blake lost to PJ Harvey in 2011] would leave a bitter taste.

Did you party like it was 1999?

If you mean drunkenly stumbling around and making a d*ck of myself, yes.

Aside from the Mercury, what were your highlights of 2013?

Meeting the people who come to the shows, playing in Atlanta – I’m a huge fan of Outkast – and having five pints at an ice-hockey match in Idaho then seeing a fat woman beat a child over a souvenir hockey puck.

What are you looking forward to about next year?

Getting home to Brixton. A Colombian café there does pandebonos [cheese buns]. Useful after a night’s drinking.

(Image: Rex)