Sam Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching, in a decision that surprised many but was widely praised. The award, presented at Newcastle's Utilita Arena, marked a revitalised ceremony after last year's scaled-down event. Host Lauren Laverne opened with 'You can expect all the usual excitement,' a nod to the prize's return to form.
Fender's album, which had the UK's largest first-week sales of the year before Taylor Swift's record, blends kitchen-sink social realism with stadium-filling choruses. Tracks like 'Wild Long Lie' tackle cocaine use as a post-pub habit, while the title track details an elderly woman's death in a chaotic care home. 'Chin Up' and 'Crumbling Empire' contrast Fender's success with the struggles of his family in North Shields.
The victory was not without controversy, as People Watching was already a commercial hit. However, critics argued the album's incisive social commentary and musical breadth—produced by The War On Drugs' Adam Granduciel and featuring brass from Easington Colliery Band—made it a worthy winner. Comparisons were drawn to Bruce Springsteen and late-90s Manic Street Preachers for its political edge.
The ceremony itself was a ticketed public event, a departure from previous invite-only affairs, and included fringe events like songwriting workshops and a fanzone created with Greggs. Bookies' favourites had included CMAT and Fontaines DC, while Jacob Alon's performance drew a rapt silence. Ultimately, Fender's album, which also won acclaim for its folkier sound and north-east roots, took the prize.
