Watch a stunned Sam Fender win 2025 Mercury Prize with 'People Watching'

A stunned Sam Fender won the prestigious 2025 Mercury Prize for his third studio album ‘People Watching’ in Newcastle on Thursday night (16th October).

The 31-year-old heartlands rocker, who was born just eight miles away from Newcastle Utilita Arena in North Shields, fought off stiff competition from the likes of Pulp, Wolf Alice and Fontaines DC to scoop the coveted prize.

When broadcaster Sian Eleri announced that ‘People Watching’ had won, Sam Fender was mobbed by his band mates on his table and the arena erupted in applause.

"Newcastle, how are we doing?!,” Sam said when he got up on stage, before leading the crowd in a chant of “Toon! Toon!”

Struggling to find the right words, Sam continued: “We did not expect this at all…. I can’t think.”

Sam then thanked his “very good friends among the nominees tonight” including CMAT and Fontaines DC, adding that he was in “great company.”

He also dedicated the award to the late Annie Orwin, who inspired ‘People Watching’, before ending his speech by proclaiming, “this region is the best region in the world!”

Sam and his band then performed ‘People Watching’ for the second time of the night in front of the euphoric home crowd.

Watch a stunned Sam Fender win 2025 Mercury Prize:

"We didn't think we were going to win anything, so I'm still in shock,” a more composed Sam told the media afterwards.

"There's a million things I could have said (on stage), but I still have no clue. We did not expect it. Normally when you've got an inkling, you'll write something, but I was like nah ne way this is gonna happen, and it did. So I screwed it there.”

He added: "It's an absolute honour and up here, the first time it's been outside of London, I think it's a really important thing right now for the music industry. I think it's great."

The Mercury Prize recognises the best new British & Irish music, celebrating artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres. The winner takes home £25,000.

As an independent arts prize, it champions the album format, acts as a snapshot of the year in music and often provides a major platform for up-and-coming artists and their musical work.

The judging panel featured Absolute Radio's very own Danielle Perry alongside Jamie Cullum, Jamz Supernova, Jeff Smith, Lea Stonhill, Mistajam, Phil Alexander, Sian Eleri, Will Hodgkinson and Sophie Williams.

Since its inception as the Mercury Music Prize in 1992 when Primal Scream’s seminal masterpiece ‘Screamadelica’ won, albums by Suede (‘Suede’), Portishead (‘Dummy’), Pulp (‘Different Class’), Gomez ('Bring It On'), Badly Drawn Boy (‘The Hour of Bewilderbeast’) PJ Harvey (‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’ and ‘Let England Shake’), Dizzee Rascal (‘Boy in da Corner’), Franz Ferdinand (‘Franz Ferdinand’), Arctic Monkeys (‘Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not’), The xx (‘The xx’), Elbow (‘Seldom Seen Kid’), Dave (‘Psychodrama’) and Michael Kiwanuka ('Kiwanuka'), Ezra Collective (‘Where I’m Meant To Be’) have all triumphed over the past 33 years.

In 2024, English Teacher triumphed with ‘This Could Be Texas’ ahead of the likes of The Last Dinner Party, Beth Gibbons and Charli XCX.

The 2025 Mercury Prize shortlist:

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