Singer-songwriter Sam Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching.
The announcement was made at the award ceremony held in Newcastle on Thursday night, marking the first time the event has been held outside London.
Jubilant crowds cheered for local lad Fender, born and raised in North Shields, who beat competition from Irish artists CMAT and Fontaines DC, among others.
DJ Lauren Laverne hosted the ceremony and judge Sian Eleri revealed the 31-year-old had won at the Utilita Arena after performances from a number of the nominees including FKA Twigs and Martin Carthy.
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Eleri said: “After much hard discussion we decided on one album that stood out for its cohesion, character and ambition.
“It felt like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come.”
Founded in 1992, the award recognises the best British or Irish album of the year.
The two Irish artists and Fender were nominated alongside Pulp, Wolf Alice, FKA Twigs, PinkPantheress, Pa Salieu, Emma-Jean Thackray, Jacob Alon, Joe Webb and Martin Carthy in the 12-artist shortlist.
No Irish artist has won the prize in its 34-year history, though many artists have been nominated, including Lankum, Róisín Murphy and Villagers. U2’s Achtung Baby was nominated in the prize’s first year, 1992, but lost out to Primal Scream’s Screamadelica.
Wolf Alice frontwoman Ellie Rowsell said: “It can be brilliant exposure. I have discovered artists through the Mercury Prize and Mercury shortlist, so it spotlights artists that some people might not have heard of. That’s one of the best things about it.”
This year’s awards were judged by a panel that includes jazz star Jamie Cullum, DJ Jamz Supernova, and The Times pop and rock critic Will Hodgkinson, and was chaired by Radio 2 head of music Jeff Smith. – PA
