Sam Fender took home the 2025 Mercury Prize, awarded by a panel of music industry figures to the best British album of the year, for his album People Watching. The North Shields singer-songwriter beat out records by FKA twigs (Eusexua), PinkPantheress (Fancy That), Fontaines D.C. (Romance), Pulp (More), Pa Salieu (Afrikan Alien), Wolf Alice (The Clearing), CMAT (Euro-Country), and more.
Last year, English Teacher won the award for their album This Could Be Texas. Fender was previously shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2022 for Seventeen Going Under.
