Sam Fender Wins 2025 Mercury Prize with Chart-Topping Album People Watching

Sam Fender has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for his acclaimed third studio album People Watching, marking a defining moment in the singer-songwriter’s stellar career.

The ceremony took place at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena — the first time the prestigious music event has been held outside London — just a short distance from Fender’s hometown of North Shields. He triumphed over a strong shortlist featuring Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice, CMAT and Britpop icons Pulp.

Judge and BBC Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri praised the winning album for its “cohesion, character and ambition”.

“After much hard discussion we decided on one album that stood out for its cohesion, character and ambition,” she said. “It felt like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come.”

A Homecoming Win for the Geordie Star

Accepting the trophy, Fender led the ecstatic crowd in a chant of “Toon, Toon” before paying tribute to fellow nominees CMAT and Fontaines DC. He then returned to the stage with his guitar to perform the title track People Watching.

The 30-year-old has seen his career soar since his 2019 debut Hypersonic Missiles, followed by Seventeen Going Under in 2021, which earned him his first Mercury Prize nomination in 2022. Earlier this year, he performed three sold-out nights at Newcastle’s St James’ Park — a total of 156,000 tickets — cementing his status as one of Britain’s biggest live acts.

People Watching debuted at No 1 on its release in February, selling 107,000 copies in its first week — the strongest chart debut for a British artist since Harry Styles released Harry’s House in 2022.

A Celebrated Line-Up of Nominees

Fender closed the ceremony with a live performance of People Watching, met with a deafening reception from the Newcastle crowd.

“I think, judging by that reaction, he might just be playing to a home crowd,” host Lauren Laverne quipped on stage.

This year’s Mercury Prize shortlist reflected a notably diverse mix of genres and backgrounds. Many artists praised the decision to relocate the event to the North East.

Folk legend Martin Carthy, at 84 the oldest nominee in the prize’s history, described the move as a “master stroke”. Emma Jean Thackray echoed the sentiment, saying:

“It’s amazing that different places are getting some shine, and I’m particularly happy that the Mercury Prize this year is in the north, being a Northern girl.”

The shortlist also included Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon for their debut In Limerence, which explores themes of sexuality, obsession and loneliness within the queer community. Notably, two jazz records were featured this year: Joe Webb’s Hamstrings and Hurricanes and Thackray’s Weirdo, a genre-blending project fusing jazz, rock, funk and hip-hop.

CMAT, the Favourite Who Missed Out

Irish artist CMAT, widely considered the frontrunner, earned her second Mercury Prize nomination for Euro-Country, which topped the charts in Ireland and reached No 2 in the UK. Speaking on the red carpet, she reflected on the current wave of Irish musical talent:

“It’s just the fact that everything is coming up through the rafters so quickly,” she said. “A lot of artists from a very small country are making music that feels quite important, as opposed to trivial.”

She also referenced Ireland’s 2008 economic crash, a key theme in her work. On the title track of Euro-Country, she sings:

“All the big boys / All the Berties / All the envelopes, yeah they hurt me / I was 12 when the das started killing themselves all around me.”

Judging Panel and Previous Winners

The 2025 Mercury Prize shortlist was curated by an independent panel of music industry figures, including Sian Eleri, jazz musician Jamie Cullum, The Times’ chief pop and rock critic Will Hodgkinson, and BBC Radio 6 presenter Jamz Supernova.

Last year’s Mercury Prize was awarded to Leeds-formed band English Teacher for their debut album This Could Be Texas.