Sam Fender has won the Mercury Prize for his third album, ‘People Watching’, during tonight’s ceremony in Fender’s birthplace of Newcastle. The Mercury Prize jury has decided to award this time not to an alternative or niche band, such as recently English Teacher in 2024 or Ezra’s Collective in 2023, but to one of the biggest current bestsellers in the United Kingdom. Sales of ‘People Watching’ are estimated at 120,000 copies as of October 2025: until Taylor it was the most popular physical album of the year on the islands and also holds the record for the best-selling vinyl during its first week by a British artist in the 21st century.
‘People Watching’, released last February, went straight to No. 1 on the UK album chart, marking the best first week for a British artist since none other than Harry Styles’ ‘Harry’s House’ in 2022. The last time such a successful record won the Mercury was probably Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 debut.
‘People Watching’, on the other hand, is a work co-produced by Adam Granduciel, leader of the American guitar band The War on Drugs.
Fender, who is 31 years old, has been one of the most active British figures in denouncing the Gaza genocide: this same year he even appeared alongside Greta Thunberg in a concert.
‘People Watching’ competed in this year’s Mercury with notable albums such as ‘Romance’ by Fontaines DC, ‘Eusexua’ by FKA twigs, ‘More’ by Pulp, ‘Fancy That!’ by PinkPantheress or ‘The Clearing’ by Wolf Alice. In his acceptance speech
CMAT – ‘Euro-Country’
Emma-Jean Thackray – ‘Weirdo’
FKA Twigs – ‘Eusexua’
Fontaines DC – ‘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’
Mercury Prize 2025 Performances
