Sam Fender wins the Mercury Prize 2025

Sam Fender took home the coveted Mercury Prize in last night’s ceremony for his third album People Watching. This year’s award saw the prize relocate to the winner’s native Newcastle in what was a first time trip out of the capital. 

This year’s shortlist had Fender fighting with many of his contemporaries, which included CMAT for her third record Euro-Country and Fontaines D.C. for their fourth LP Romance. The rest of the shortlisted artists included previous winners Pulp and Wolf Alice, alongside Emma-Jean Thackray, FKA Twigs, Jacob Alon, Joe Webb, Martin Carthy, Pa Salieu, and PinkPantheress. 

The South Shields singer is no stranger to the award, having previously been nominated for his sophomore release Seventeen Going Under in 2022, where he lost out to Little Simz’s acclaimed Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Last year broke the mould for the award as Leeds band English Teacher’s debut This Could Be Texas claimed the prize, ending a decade-long streak of winning artists hailing from London. 

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