Sam Fender Wins Mercury Prize
The 2025 Mercury Prize was won by Sam Fender. For his album 'People Watching'. He beat the likes of Fontaines D.C., Wolf Alice, Pulp and CMAT to the prize.
The judging panel said of Fender: “This year proved that the album remains the format of choice for artists to best present a body of work. That, however, made our job as judges of the 2025 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year…more challenging than ever.
“All 12 records on the shortlist worked so well on their own terms, ranging from ancient ballads to futuristic electronics. After much discussion, however, we all decided on one album that stood out for its cohesion, character and ambition. It felt like a classic album, which will take pride of place in record collections for years to come. ‘People Watching’ by Sam Fender is both melody-rich and expansive, marrying heartland rock with the realities of everyday life and the importance of community.
“These are thoughtful songs with broad appeal, as cinematic as they are intimate, making ‘People Watching’ a worthy winner of the 2025 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.”
Accepting the award, Fender led the audience in a chant of “Toon Toon”. He said, “We didn’t expect this at all…I can’t think!” He then went on to thank some of his “very good friends among the nominees tonight” including CMAT and Fontaines DC, adding that he was in “great company.” He also dedicated the award to the late Annie Orwin, who inspired ‘People Watching. ’
Following the Mercury Prize win, Sam shared the soothing new single 'Talk To You' which features Elton Jon on the piano.
“‘Talk To You’ was written during the People Watching sessions at British Grove,” said Fender via a press release. “It’s a song about the end of a long relationship – about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It’s that feeling of losing your best friend and coming to terms with that.”
He continued: “I was playing around with the riff and thought what I need is a really good pianist, and then hmmm, I wonder who I can call? And of course, who better than Elton John?”
John added, “Sam was writing and recording in a studio in West London and called to say he’d written a song with a piano riff that he thought would sound great with me playing it. I couldn’t resist, and it was so much fun playing it for him.
“I truly love Sam. He’s been a friend for many, many years, and it’s incredible to see him grow into being a truly world-class artist.”
The song is a taster from the deluxe version of ‘People Watching’, which is released on 5th December. The record features eight extra tracks, including the four tracks that appeared on his Record Store Day vinyl EP ‘Me And The Dog’.Along with the Elton John collaboration, the album also includes two more previously unheard tracks – ‘Fortuna’s Wheel’ and ‘The Treadmill’. The extra recordings also feature the song ‘Rein Me In’ with Olivia Dean.