Sam Fender Wins 2025 Mercury Prize for 'People Watching'
Sam Fender has taken home the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album People Watching, an emotional and personal record that explores working-class life in the north of England.
The 31-year-old was visibly stunned when his name was announced during Thursday night’s ceremony at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena — the first time the prestigious awards have been held outside London. “I didn’t think that was going to happen at all,” Fender said. “I’ve spent the last 10 minutes crying.”
The hometown crowd erupted in cheers, having just watched him perform the album’s title track, which was inspired by his late friend and mentor Annie Orwin, who was the inspiration for the album’s title track. Accepting the award, Fender dedicated it to her: “I want to just say thank you because I never did to the person the song People Watching is about... I want to dedicate it to Annie Orwin who’s up there.”
Announcing the winner, judge Sian Eleri said the judges were moved by the album’s “cohesion, character, and ambition,” calling it “a classic” that would live on in record collections for years. Fender beat out strong competition including former Mercury winners Pulp and Wolf Alice, as well as Irish breakout star CMAT, FKA Twigs, and post-punk favourites Fontaines D.C.
People Watching, released in February, shot straight to number one in the UK, selling over 100,000 copies and becoming the fastest-selling album by a British artist since Harry Styles’ album Harry’s House in 2022. With People Watching, Fender set out to write “11 songs about ordinary people.” He ended up creating something much bigger — a powerful tribute to the people and places that shaped him, delivered straight from the heart of the North. The album is a raw portrait of grief, loss, and community, rooted in Fender’s hometown of North Shields. Songs like Crumbling Empire and Rein Me In examine the aftermath of industrial decline, family struggles, and failed relationships.
Speaking after the ceremony, a still-shocked Fender admitted he hadn’t prepared a speech:
“We didn’t think we were going to win anything, so I’m still in shock... I was like ‘nah, ne way this is gonna happen’ — and it did.” His band joked that they’d celebrate with a pyjama party, but Fender said his plans were more straightforward: “I’m gonna have a beer.”
The Mercury Prize has often spotlighted emerging talent, but People Watching is Fender’s third album — and arguably his most complete. While his previous album, Seventeen Going Under, earned him a Mercury nomination in 2022, this win cements his status as one of the UK's leading rock voices.
