Sam Fender has gained the 2025 Mercury Prize. Fender gained for Folks Watching, solidifying his status as one among Britain’s defining songwriters of the last decade. The ceremony, held in Newcastle — the primary time the awards have taken place exterior London — noticed Fender take dwelling the honour forward of fellow nominees together with FKA twigs, Pulp, Wolf Alice, and Fontaines D.C.
Fender adopted up the win with an announcement: He’ll be following up his acclaimed 2025 third album, Folks Watching, with an expanded deluxe version. The up to date model will arrive on December 5 through Polydor Data. The deluxe version options eight new tracks, launched on each CD and vinyl. They embody 4 songs that initially featured on Sam’s restricted version Report Retailer Day vinyl-only Me and The Canine EP — “I’m Always On Stage”, “Me and The Dog”, “Tyrants”, and “Empty Spaces” — in addition to “Rein Me In” with Olivia Dean for its first bodily launch, and three beforehand unheard tracks: “Fortuna’s Wheel”, “The Treadmill”, and “Talk To You” that includes Elton John.
“‘Talk to You’ was written during the People Watching sessions at British Grove. 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,” Fender stated of the brand new tune in an announcement. “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.”
Elton John additionally shared his expertise working with the artist: “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.”
Launched in February 2025, Folks Watching grew to become the fastest-selling album by a British solo artist since spring 2022, promoting over 100,000 copies in its first week within the UK alone. The album, which has spawned six singles (together with the title monitor and “Wild Long Lie”), topped the UK Albums Chart and reached the highest ten in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Eire, and Switzerland. Fender is at the moment supporting Folks Watching with an intensive world tour, with the North American leg operating by way of October.
Hearken to Sam Fender’s “Talk To You,” that includes Elton John, now.
