Sam Fender awarded the 2025 Mercury Prize for ‘People Watching’

British singer-songwriter Sam Fender has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for his acclaimed album ‘People Watching’. The Mercury Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the British music industry, celebrating the best album of the year from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Fender’s victory places him among an elite group of artists recognized for outstanding musical creativity and innovation. The shortlist for this year’s award included a wide range of artists such as Pulp, Wolf Alice, FKA Twigs, PinkPantheress, Pa Salieu, Emma-Jean Thackray, Jacob Alon, Joe Webb, and Martin Carthy. Had Wolf Alice or Pulp won, they would have joined PJ Harvey as the only artist to have received the Mercury Prize twice. Pulp previously won in 1996 with ‘Different Class’, while Wolf Alice claimed the prize in 2017 with ‘Visions Of A Life’. The announcement of Fender’s win was made on Thursday, 16 October 2025, and marks another milestone in his successful career following the critical acclaim of his previous albums. Further details about the ceremony and Fender’s reaction are expected to be released as updates become available from Sky News.