Michael Kiwanuka has not been able to return home since suffering a devastating stroke last summer. In his only interview since falling ill, the Mercury Prize winner has opened up about the ordeal and about the "poignancy" of finally releasing the album his stroke shelved.

At the end of July 2025, Kiwanuka was back home in Southampton after a series of European gigs. His 2024 album, Small Changes, had drawn critical acclaim; only Kendrick Lamar's GNX kept it from the UK No 1 slot. His fifth record, Fudge, was due that autumn.

Everything was going well for the singer-songwriter, whose eccentric, genre-busting mix of psychedelic rock, prog soul, blues and gospel had marked him as a singular voice in British music.

Kiwanuka had been expected to appear at the All Together Now festival in County Waterford, Ireland, in the coming days. Instead, an announcement appeared on his Instagram story: "We are so sorry to announce that due to continued illness, and on the advice of doctors, Michael will sadly be unable to perform at the rest of his scheduled festival performances throughout the rest of the summer and the shows in North America in October."

Now Kiwanuka has spoken for the first time about what happened. "Everyone can relate to pain and struggle," he said. "So I'm sharing mine."

The stroke forced him to shelve Fudge, the record that was to follow Small Changes. He describes the "poignancy" of finally being able to release it after his illness derailed its planned autumn 2025 arrival.

The interview marks the first time the 38-year-old's condition and recovery have been addressed publicly in his own words. It also confirms the reason behind the abrupt cancellation of his entire 2025 festival run, including All Together Now in Ireland and his planned October shows in North America.

For an artist who built his reputation on a distinctive blend of psychedelic rock, prog soul, blues and gospel across four acclaimed albums — including the Mercury Prize-winning Kiwanuka — the stroke interrupted a career at its commercial and critical peak.

Small Changes, released in November 2024, was widely praised by critics and came closest of any of his records to topping the UK chart. Its success set expectations high for Fudge, which fans will now hear under circumstances neither Kiwanuka nor his label anticipated.

Kiwanuka's decision to speak — and to frame his illness in terms of shared human experience rather than private tragedy — suggests the new music will arrive weighted with meaning beyond its songs. As he puts it: "Everyone can relate to pain and struggle. So I'm sharing mine."