Michael Kiwanuka shares details on life after stroke in first interview

Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka has spoken about the impact of a devastating stroke that has prevented him from returning home since last summer. In his first interview since falling ill, the singer-songwriter reflected on the “poignancy” of finally releasing his new album, Fudge, which had been shelved due to the incident. The release follows his critically acclaimed 2024 album, Small Changes, which was kept from the UK No. 1 spot only by Kendrick Lamar’s GNX.

Prior to his illness, Kiwanuka was preparing for a series of European gigs and was scheduled to appear at the All Together Now festival in County Waterford, Ireland. However, an announcement on his Instagram story in late July 2025 confirmed that, on the advice of doctors, he would be unable to perform the remainder of his summer festival dates or his October shows in North America. Kiwanuka, known for his genre-busting mix of psychedelic rock, prog soul, blues, and gospel, described his decision to share his experience by stating, “Everyone can relate to pain and struggle. So I’m sharing mine.”