When Michael Kiwanuka won the Mercury Prize in 2020 for his self-titled album Kiwanuka, it marked a profound turning point.
After two previous nominations, he thought he understood the process, but the win transformed his perspective.
“It sort of woke me up,” Kiwanuka recalls. “I’d been desperately looking for approval from my peers and the media.
The Mercury freed me from that desperation and allowed me to focus on making records that feel natural.”
This realization was deeply personal. Kiwanuka grappled with themes of self-doubt and identity, offering an unflinching look at his struggles.
The validation didn’t erase his internal conflicts, but it gave him a new way to approach his work and life.
“I’d been using so much energy beating myself up,” he says. “Winning reminded me how amazing it is to make my own records and perform on stages like Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage.”
At Glastonbury 2023, Kiwanuka performed wearing a white kanzu—a nod to his Ugandan heritage.
During his set, a synthesizer malfunction interrupted his new song Small Changes. Instead of panicking, he laughed it off, charming the audience.
“It was an amazing feeling,” he recalls. “I felt like the crowd lifted me up.
They saw the real me, not the version I thought they wanted to see.”
Kiwanuka’s latest album, Small Changes, reflects this newfound confidence.
Collaborating again with Inflo and Danger Mouse, he embraced a more stripped-back sound, allowing his voice to take center stage.
“I fell in love with my voice again,” he shares. “I wanted it to be heard more prominently than the drums or guitars. That shaped the album.”
Critics have praised the result, calling it one of his most intimate and moving works.
The album was written during a period of upheaval as Kiwanuka became a father, moved out of London, and confronted life’s inevitable changes.
“At this age, I can look back and see how friendships and priorities evolve,” he says.
“The song Small Changes captures that mix of hope and melancholy that comes with accepting change.”
Family has become a central theme in his life and music.
On The Rest Of Me, he sings, “Back when I was lost, stumbling around / You found me.”
For Kiwanuka, commitment has taken on a new significance.
“It’s not flashy, but it’s powerful,” he says.
“In a world where permanence feels rare, sticking with something to the very end feels revolutionary. That’s what I want to hold on to.”
As Small Changes vies for the UK’s number one album spot, Kiwanuka remains indifferent to chart positions.
For him, the true reward lies in the music itself and the connections it creates, both with himself and his audience.
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