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In what has widely and patronisingly become known as the year of women in music, a plucky representative from their team finally had to wrest the Mercury Prize from the commonly victorious all-male indie bands.
She didn't come from the obvious sources, however, with the heavily hyped Little Boots and Lily Allen failing even to secure a nomination, while number one star La Roux, two-time nominee Bat For Lashes and red-haired red hot favourite Florence And The Machine also fell at the last.
Speech Debelle has nothing in common with any of them aside from a newly ridiculous hairstyle, but as the voice of a rap album capable of appealing far beyond genre boundaries she is a fine winner.
Relatively unknown until now, one listen to the debut album by 26-year-old Corynne Elliot from Crystal Palace offers more uncomfortable personal information than a month of Jordan magazine covers.
Four years trudging between hostels after being thrown out of her mother's home (they have since reconciled), gangster acquaintances and a long-absent father who has eight children by six different women - nothing is left in the shadows.
She raps softly but with quiet forcefulness over a jazzy acoustic backdrop - double bass, acoustic guitar, strings, piano, oboe - taking hip hop away from its usual samples and electronics towards a more organic, live feel.
The Mercury, always fuzzy in its real intentions, is often perceived as a reward for forward-thinking, innovative music, in which case this is a mis-step.
Ancient acts such as A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr and the entire population of Philadelphia have sounded like Speech for years and she describes her own music in worryingly cosy terms: "A hip hop version of Tracy Chapman".
Dizzee Rascal, the last rapping winner in 2003, sounded far more unique back then.
However, what the Mercury does best is unearth underrated albums that deserve a wider audience, and in that respect she is a worthwhile choice.
Some recent winners, such as Arctic Monkeys, have not needed the exposure.
As an unknown on a tiny record label, this victory will change her life dramatically for the better.
After the troubles detailed so vividly on her album, this is no less than she deserves.
