The artist Sam Fender Wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for His Album People Watching
Sam Fender has been declared the recipient of the 2025's Mercury Prize, recognizing his chart-topping album People Watching.
Presenting the prize, judge Sian Eleri, a judge, commented the album was marked by “ambition, character, and cohesion. It felt like a iconic release, one that will occupy a cherished position in album archives for a long time.”
The singer, in his early thirties, grew up in North Shields, close to where the prize event was staged this year, in Newcastle upon Tyne. He gained prominence rapidly with his first record Hypersonic Missiles in the year 2019, which led the UK album chart, then consolidated its grand yet emotional sound on sophomore release Seventeen Going Under (2021), and further with People Watching, issued in the month of February. It has taken him to more significant chart achievements, producing two singles in the Top Ten and leading to a series of arena shows.
This Year's Mercury Prize Nominees
This year’s Mercury Prize shortlist showcased a number of chart-topping albums alongside relatively obscure artists.
People Watching, Wolf Alice’s The Clearing and the return album by Pulp More all topped the British album charts, while CMAT's Euro-Country, FKA twigs' Eusexua, Romance by Fontaines DC and PinkPantheress' Fancy That all made it to the Top Three. Betting agencies had CMAT as the top pick, followed by Fontaines DC and Pulp.
Additional nominees were the Scottish artist Jacob Alon, rapper Pa Salieu, jazz-funk artist Emma-Jean Thackray, and the Welsh pianist Joe Webb.
Historic Artist
The honor also had its most aged nominee: folk artist Martin Carthy, 84, honored for his album Transform Me Then Into a Fish.
His musical journey dates back to the start of the 1960s in London, where he influenced Bob Dylan, teaching him the standard Scarborough Fair. He later produced albums with his wife, the singer Norma Waterson, and their daughter, Eliza Carthy pursued a similar path into the folk genre, receiving two Mercury Prize nods of her own in the year 1998 and 2003.
Ceremony Highlights
Martin and Eliza performed a rendition of the song Scarborough Fair together, with the sitarist Sheema Mukherjee, at the event. Alon, Fender, FKA twigs, Pulp, Pa Salieu, Emma-Jean Thackray, Joe Webb and Wolf Alice each also gave a live performance.
CMAT was also in attendance, but did not perform due to medical care to a pair of wisdom teeth. “I was considering designing accessories from them,” she said to a BBC radio station. “I plan to make the other nominees kiss my teeth for luck, but without telling them it’s my good luck.”
Award Background
The band Wolf Alice emerged as the pioneering group to be shortlisted for every one of their initial four releases. Together they and Pulp have one win from four nominations.
Last year, the Mercury Prize appeared in a somewhat troubled condition, after it failed to secure an ceremony backer and had to make do with a scaled-back honors event lacking concert segments.
Yet it has made a strong comeback in 2025, moving to Newcastle and using the city’s Utilita Arena as a venue. It additionally staged an array of “Mercury fringe” events in the days before to the honors gala, with performance spots, seminars and expert talks. Jacob Alon, Carthy, Fender, FKA twigs, Pulp, Salieu, Emma-Jean Thackray, Webb and Wolf Alice each gave a live performance at the event.
Regional Impact
Study of past victors revealed that between 2014 and 2023, every winner came from London, with Leeds band English Teacher at last securing a win from outside the capital in 2024.
The shift to Newcastle, which works against a generally London-centric recording business, has accordingly been praised. Minister Ian Murray, minister for creative industries, media and arts, said the “meaningful move” was “hugely welcome … For too long other parts of the country have had to play second fiddle to London, despite having top-tier creative output in their own merit.”
Selection Committee
The Mercury Prize is chosen by a team of industry professionals: Jamie Cullum, a jazz musician and broadcaster; radio presenters Sian Eleri, Jamz Supernova, Mistajam, and Danielle Perry; reporters Phil Alexander, Will Hodgkinson and Sophie Williams; music consultant Lea Stonhill; and the judging panel chair, Jeff Smith, music head at BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music.
The honor, created in 1992, is known as a “celebration of the dozen albums of the year, recognizing artistic success across a range of contemporary music genres”. The most nominated acts are Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys, each with five nods, while PJ Harvey is the unique performer to have won it twice.
Award Remarks
Sam Fender receives £25,000 prize money. The judges’ statement added that People Watching is “melody-rich and expansive, uniting heartland rock with the realities of daily existence and the value of togetherness. These are meaningful compositions with broad appeal, as film-like as they are intimate.”
