Mercury prize seals the star power of Sam Fender, the ‘Geordie Springsteen’

The album has allowed Fender, who grew up in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, to settle into his status as the “Geordie Springsteen” following his critically acclaimed 2019 debut album Hypersonic Missiles and 2021’s Seventeen Going Under. He accepted the award at the Newcastle Arena to the sound of United chants.

Here’s Fender in his own words, taken from the album:

The title track of People Watching is a searing opener about the parlous state of palliative care homes (“The place was falling to bits, understaffed and overruled by callous hands”). It was written for Annie Orwin, whom Fender called “a surrogate mother in a lot of ways” and who died in October 2023. Orwin was an actor and starred in the Newcastle-based teen drama Byker Grove, and Fender said he wrote it as Orwin would “always complain about me not ever mentioning her”. He dedicated his prize on Thursday to her.

“He’s been a friend for many, many years and it’s incredible to see him grow into being a truly world class artist.” So said Elton John of Fender after he released the single Talk to You, on which Elton is a featured artist, the day after he picked up his Mercury Award.

It’s a far cry from his early career, gigging while pouring pints at the Low Lights Tavern in North Shields. Fender’s second album detailed the struggles he faced growing up, including his mother’s battle with fibromyalgia, their financial difficulties, and his own feelings of helplessness. Now Fender’s star power is such that Elton is a pal – and Andrew Scott and Adolescence breakout star Owen Cooper feature in the music videos for People Watching and Little Bit Closer respectively. It’s a new reality he battles with in his third album.

Fender has previously credited his ADHD for maintaining occasional states of hyper-focus, calling it a “superpower” in a 2021 interview. Arm’s Length is emblematic of this – having started out as a “silly guitar riff” at 9pm in the studio one night, the whole song was written and recorded by 3am. “You have songs like that that just come out of nowhere,” he told Variety.

The musician is proudly dedicated to his roots. In March, when Newcastle United defender Dan Burn scored an opening header against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, helping the Magpies win their first trophy for 70 years, the name of another local hero could be seen on the back of his shirt: Sam Fender. The limited edition shirts were then auctioned for local community projects through Newcastle United’s official charity.

Fender crowned the UK leg of the People Watching tour with three sold-out shows at St James Park, home of the Magpies. Burn joined him on stage, wielding the Carabao Cup.

As in his previous albums, the themes of class and politics are woven throughout People Watching. Its artwork features photography from the acclaimed social documentarian Tish Murtha, whose work highlights working-class life and the plight of marginalised communities. Chin Up sees Fender reflect on those left behind as he sings: “My friends at home are in pain, chucky debt, God, I hate cocaine… our Jackie navigates through the penury, he lost his job again in January.”

The album closes with Remember My Name, a tender ballad written from the ​​perspective of Fender’s grandfather, who looked after his wife when she was living with dementia. The track is accompanied by the Easington Colliery Brass Band. The band’s secretary, Peter Lawson, said Fender had become so emotional when he heard the band rehearse the song that he asked if he could sing it live alongside them.

Photographs by Matt Jelonek/Getty, Euan Cherry/Getty