London-born rapper Sway is to be honoured at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Hip-Hop awards.
The 23-year-old, who was nominated for this year's Mercury music prize, was voted best UK act by MTV Base viewers and BBC 1Xtra listeners in the UK.
"I'm over the moon," he told 1Xtra. "It's a massive opportunity for me and hip-hop in the UK in general."
Sway first came to attention in 2005 when he won a best hip-hop award at the Mobos before he had released an album.
The rapper, who had put out mixtapes showcasing his humorous rap style, beat competition from US superstars such as 50 Cent and The Game.
He released his debut album, This Is My Demo, on his own label earlier this year.
Sales boost
Sway told 1Xtra he hoped the BET award would help him gain a foothold in the US.
"I'm going to capitalise on it as much as I can," he said. "Stickers are going on every new CD I do."
Sway will pick up his prize at BET's inaugural hip-hop awards in Atlanta on 12 November.
He will appear alongside established acts such as Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and DJ Grandmaster Flash - who receives the ceremony's icon award.
BET was launched in 1980, and is an urban equivalent to its sister-station MTV.
It has around 80 million viewers across the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6107140.stm