North Shields musician Sam Fender has been named the winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year at a glittering ceremony held in his hometown at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena. His winning record, People Watching, marks his third studio album and was praised by the judging panel as a “melody-rich and expansive” exploration of working-class life in northern England.
Fender, overwhelmed with emotion as the announcement was made, appeared tearful backstage and told the BBC, “I didn't think that was going to happen at all. I've spent the last 10 minutes crying.” His win, which includes a £25,000 prize, was met with thunderous applause from the hometown crowd, who had earlier sung along to every line of his performance of the album’s title track.
The 31-year-old artist triumphed over a strong and varied shortlist that featured previous winners Pulp and Wolf Alice, along with bookmakers’ favorite CMAT from Ireland. People Watching enjoyed major commercial success upon its release in February, selling 107,000 copies and becoming the fastest-selling album by a British artist since Harry Styles’ 2022 record.
Fender used his speech to dedicate the prize to his late mentor Annie Orwin, sharing that the title track was inspired by her and by grief. He explained that much of the rest of the album is rooted in his hometown, saying, “The rest of the album is very much local stories, little pictures of Shields, and the people I've grown up with.”
The decision to host the Mercury Prize ceremony in Newcastle instead of London was part of a wider music industry push to decentralize major events. Fender welcomed the move, noting that Newcastle has often felt like “an isolated bubble” from the wider industry, which made the recognition even more meaningful. Despite high praise from music legends like Elton John, who has called him “the best rock 'n' roll artist there is,” Fender remains grounded. When asked how he planned to celebrate, he smiled and said simply, “I'm gonna have a beer.”
