Sam Fender Triumphs in Hometown 2025 Mercury Prize Ceremony

Sam Fender‘s People Watching won the Mercury Prize on Thursday (Oct. 16) successful a ceremonial held successful his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Launched successful 1992, The Mercury Prize is an esteemed yearly prize that celebrates the champion of British and Irish euphony crossed a scope of euphony genres. For the archetypal clip successful its history, this twelvemonth the ceremonial was held extracurricular of London, taking spot astatine the Utilita Arena successful Newcastle upon Tyne.

Albums by British and Irish artists with a U.K. merchandise day betwixt July 13, 2024, and Aug. 29, 2025, were eligible for the 2025 Prize. Broadcaster and 6Music big Lauren Laverne hosted the ceremony, which featured unrecorded performances from 9 of the shortlisted acts. Fender performed the album’s rubric way during the ceremony.

People Watching, Fender’s 3rd workplace album, is his 2nd to beryllium nominated for the prize pursuing 2021’s Seventeen Going Under. People Watching deed No. 1 connected the Official U.K. Albums Chart upon merchandise backmost successful February and scored an opening-week debut of 110,000 copies, the highest for a British solo creator since Harry Styles successful 2022.

With his victory, Fender wins a currency prize of £25,000 ($33,400), portion the vulnerability volition apt extremity the winning grounds backmost onto the U.K. illustration implicit the coming weeks. The victor was chosen by an autarkic panel, which each twelvemonth judges the entries connected creator achievement.

In 2024, the grant was won by Leeds-formed set English Teacher for their debut medium This Could Be Texas. Other erstwhile winners see Ezra Collective (2023), Little Simz (2022), and Arlo Parks (2021), portion the likes of Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, Dave and The xx person besides scooped the trophy implicit the years.

The different albums successful contention for the apical prize were CMAT’s Euro-Country; Emma-Jean Thackray’s Weirdo; FKA Twigs’ Eusexua; Fontaines D.C.’s Romance; Jacob Alon’s In Limerence; Joe Webb’s Hamstrings & Hurricanes; Martin Carthy’s Transform Me Then Into A Fish; Pa Salieu’s Afrikan Alien; PinkPantheress’ Fancy That; Pulp’s More; and Wolf Alice’s The Clearing.

The judging sheet was chaired by Jeff Smith (head of music, BBC Radio 2 and 6Music) and besides included Danielle Perry – broadcaster & writer; Jamie Cullum – instrumentalist & Radio 2 broadcaster; Jamz Supernova – 6 Music broadcaster and DJ; Lea Stonhill – euphony programming consultant; Mistajam – songwriter, DJ & broadcaster; Phil Alexander – originative director, Kerrang!/contributing editor, Mojo; Sian Eleri – Radio 1 broadcaster & DJ; Wi...