Sam Fender’s album, “People Watching,” was awarded the esteemed Mercury Prize on Thursday, October 16, in a ceremony that made history by being held in his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. This marked the first time in the Mercury Prize’s 32-year history that the annual event, which celebrates the best of British and Irish music across a diverse range of genres, took place outside of London, specifically at the Utilita Arena.

“People Watching” is Sam Fender’s third studio album and his second to be nominated for the prestigious award, following his 2021 release, “Seventeen Going Under.” Upon its release in February, the album swiftly climbed to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, achieving an impressive opening-week debut of 110,000 copies, a figure not seen for a British solo artist since Harry Styles in 2022. During the ceremony, Fender delivered a live performance of the album’s title track. His victory came with a cash prize of £25,000 (approximately $33,400), an award that is also anticipated to boost the album’s presence back onto the U.K. chart in the weeks following the announcement.

The eligibility criteria for the 2025 Prize stipulated that albums by British and Irish artists with a U.K. release date between July 13, 2024, and August 29, 2025, were considered. The ceremony was hosted by broadcaster and 6Music personality Lauren Laverne and featured live performances from nine of the shortlisted acts, showcasing the breadth of talent recognized by the award.

The winner of the Mercury Prize is selected by an independent panel of judges who evaluate entries purely on their artistic achievement. In 2024, the award was won by the Leeds-formed band English Teacher for their debut album, “This Could Be Texas.” Other notable previous winners include Ezra Collective (2023), Little Simz (2022), and Arlo Parks (2021), alongside iconic artists such as Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, Dave, and The xx, who have also claimed the coveted trophy over the years.

The intensely competitive shortlist for the top prize included a variety of critically acclaimed albums: CMAT’s “Euro-Country”; Emma-Jean Thackray’s “Weirdo”; FKA Twigs’ “Eusexua”; Fontaines D.C.’s “Romance”; Jacob Alon’s “In Limerence”; Joe Webb’s “Hamstrings & Hurricanes”; Martin Carthy’s “Transform Me Then Into A Fish”; Pa Salieu’s “Afrikan Alien”; PinkPantheress’ “Fancy That”; Pulp’s “More”; and Wolf Alice’s “The Clearing.”

The independent judging panel was chaired by Jeff Smith, Head of Music for BBC Radio 2 and 6Music. The panel also comprised a distinguished group of music industry figures: Danielle Perry (broadcaster & writer), Jamie Cullum (musician & Radio 2 broadcaster), Jamz Supernova (6 Music broadcaster and DJ), Lea Stonhill (music programming consultant), Mistajam (songwriter, DJ & broadcaster), Phil Alexander (creative director, Kerrang!/contributing editor, Mojo), Sian Eleri (Radio 1 broadcaster & DJ), Will Hodgkinson (chief rock & pop critic, The Times), and Sophie Williams (music writer for Billboard U.K. and broadcaster).