His win puts him in the same class as previous EMA winners, which include last year's winner Tapz, and international success stories Broods, Savage and of course Lorde.
James is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in 2016 with his early singles No Fixed Abode and Move On.
At the age of 17, James had moved to London in pursuit of a music career. He spent two years travelling Europe, busking and playing 230 gigs. He experienced homelessness and was robbed, beaten and once witnessed a stabbing.
In March this year, global superstar Ed Sheeran hand-picked James to open for his three stadium shows in Dunedin.
He released his self-titled debut album in September this year, debuting at number two on the New Zealand charts, gaining 40 million streams as of October.
In a candid op-ed for NZHerald's TimeOut, James revealed he has battled depression and anxiety since he was a teenager, encouraging others to speak openly about their mental health.
"We have bred a toxic culture of silence and shame in this beautiful country of ours," he wrote.
"We find it hard to give even the people closest to us the support they need to look after their mental health.
"By sharing my own battle with the depths of depression and anxiety, I hope that it will help even just one other person feel less alone and know that there is a way out, even when it feels like all hope is gone."
James has also recently been announced to play Jim Beam Homegrown in March, joining a lineup which includes the likes of Savage, P-Money, Shapeshifter, Broods, Kora, Katchafire, Dave Dobbyn and more.
