Sam Fender given first Ivor Novello songwriting award
It's for 'Seventeen Going Under', about his life growing up in North Shields
Sam Fender has been awarded his first Ivor Novello songwriting award, for his track 'Seventeen Going Under.'
The song is about his life growing up in North Shields, and the challenges he and his family faced.
It was up against 'Easy On Me' by Adele, 'All You Ever Wanted' by Rag'n'Bone Man, 'Haunted House' by Holly Humberstone and 'Let's Go Home Together' by Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan.
"Much more work" needed to help North East artists
28-year-old Sam reflected on the challenges of making it in the music industry as an artist from the North East, saying "much more work" is needed to diversity the talent pool.
He explained that his manager Owain Davies discovered him "by fluke" when he heard him perform at the pub he worked in, the Low Lights Tavern in North Shields, adding that if it was not for him he does not know if he would have made it in the industry.
Fender said: "I think there needs to be a lot more work done, especially after the pandemic.
"The pandemic's economically destroyed parts of this country and it's going to make it even worse and harder for kids from places like where I'm from to get to this sort of place."
He added: "You do walk into these rooms and very few of us here didn't go to private school, not that there's anything wrong with going to private school but it definitely makes it harder.
"It's down to things that people don't actually even think about like train tickets or travelling to gigs and stuff like that, I would never have been able to afford gigging outside of my hometown if it wasn't for him (his manager) so, I think there needs to be a lot more work done with that."