NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Sam Fender reacts onstage to his victory during the "Mercury Music Awards 2025" at Utilita Arena on October 16, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
Sam Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching. The annual award is given to best album released by a musical act from the UK or Ireland, as determined by a panel of music industry figures. One of those judges, BBC DJ Sian Eleri, said People Watching had “cohesion, character, and ambition” and felt like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come.”
