Sam Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching.
The renowned award, which ‘celebrates artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres’ in the UK and Ireland, was presented to the North Shields musician this evening (16 October) during a ceremony at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.
Addressing the arena, Sam said of his win: 'We did not expect this at all … I want to say thank you, because I never did, to the person the song People Watching is about: Annie Orwin, who’s up there.'
The Mercurys judging panel said in a statement about their decision: ‘This year proved that the album remains the format of choice for artists to best present a body of work. That, however, made our job as judges of the 2025 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year is more challenging than ever. All 12 records on the shortlist worked so well on their own terms, ranging from ancient ballads to futuristic electronics.
‘After much discussion, however, we all decided on one album that stood out for its cohesion, character and ambition. It felt like a classic album, which will take pride of place in record collections for years to come. People Watching by Sam Fender is both melody-rich and expansive, marrying heartland rock with the realities of everyday life and the importance of community.
'These are thoughtful songs with broad appeal, as cinematic as they are intimate, making People Watching a worthy winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.’
Sam, who was supported by PRS Foundation's PPL Momentum Music Fund early in his career, received the trophy from broadcaster and DJ Sian Eleri, who presented the award on behalf of the judging panel. Sam then performed the title track from his winning album to a standing ovation from the arena.
You can see the full shortlist of albums for the 2025 Mercury Prize below.
- CMAT - EURO-COUNTRY
- Emma-Jean Thackray - Weirdo
- FKA twigs - EUSEXUA
- Fontaines D.C. - Romance
- Jacob Alon - In Limerence
- Joe Webb - Hamstrings & Hurricanes
- Martin Carthy - Transform Me Then Into A Fish
- Pa Salieu - Afrikan Alien
- PinkPantheress - Fancy That
- Pulp - More
- Sam Fender - People Watching
- Wolf Alice - The Clearing
