34 h. ago 'These venues are legendary': Sam Fender donates entire Mercury Prize winnings to music charity

The singer joins the likes of Ms Dynamite and M People by donating his winnings to charity.

Politics

42 h. ago Sam Fender donates his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to charity

The singer won the award in October for his third studio album

Economics

43 h. ago Sam Fender's 'incredible' £25k gesture after Mercury Prize win

The singer donated the money to 'legendary venues' that are struggling

Economics

43 h. ago Sam Fender donates his £25,000 Mercury prize winnings to Music Venue Trust charity

Chart-topping singer-songwriter adds to his previous support of charity that works on behalf of small UK venuesSam Fender has donated his £25,000 winnings from this year’s Mercury prize to a charity supporting the UK’s small music venues.The North Shields singer-songwriter won the prestigious prize in October for his album People Watching, a UK chart-topper that continued his run of poignant, socially conscious songwriting. Continue reading...

Economics

43 h. ago Sam Fender donates Mercury Prize winnings to charity protecting music venues

The singer from North Shields has given £25,000 to Music Venue Trust (MVT).

Politics

49 h. ago Sam Fender's stunning gift to charity following his Mercury Prize victory

The Geordie-born star collected his award for the critically acclaimed album People Watching. He decided to give the £25,000 prize to Music Venue Trust.

Politics

55 h. ago Sam Fender announces ‘Live At London Stadium’ concert film with ‘People Watching’ video

Sam Fender announces ‘Live At London Stadium’ concert film with ‘People Watching’ video  NME

Culture

56 h. ago Turner Prize 2025 exhibition review: 'four artists who could hardly be more different'

A Turner Prize victory for Glasgow-born Nnena Kalu would be a game-changer for disabled artists, writes Susan Mansfield

Politics

3 d. ago Strictly Come Dancing 'first' pictures of Remembrance Sunday group dance

It'll mark Remembrance Sunday as the professionals perform to Sam Fender

Politics

4 d. ago Elena Rybakina sinks Aryna Sabalenka to claim WTA Finals and record prize

Former Wimbledon champion wins 6-3, 7-6 (0)Unbeaten Rybakina takes home £3.98mElena Rybakina re-established herself as one of the significant players in women’s tennis as she closed out a week of devastating performances against the best in the world by completely overpowering Aryna Sabalenka to capture one of the biggest titles of her career at the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win.Having finished the season-ending tournament unbeaten in her five matches, Rybakina is now $5.235m (£3.98m) richer, earning the greatest prize money haul in the history of women’s sports. The victory marks the 26-year-old’s fourth big title after wins at Wimbledon in 2022, and Indian Wells and the Italian Open a year later. This is her third title of the season and her 11th title on the WTA Tour overall. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago B&M fans 'running' for £3.50 gift that 'looks beautiful in homes'

Shoppers are raving about the retailer's 'stunning' range that's 'so cute for gift giving'

Economics

3 w. ago 9 bathroom products you'll remember if you grew up in the 70s, 80s or 90s

One ‘stung like hell’, another was the gift every parent dreaded receiving, and a third didn’t always deliver the desired result.

Politics

3 w. ago Sam Fender releases new song with Elton John, one day after Mercury prize win

John plays twinkling piano part in new song Talk to You, and says he ‘truly loves’ the Geordie singer-songwriterSam Fender has released a new song with Elton John entitled Talk to You, the day after winning the 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching.It features a twinkling piano line laid out by John, amid Fender’s full-bodied guitar-led songwriting. Fender sings on the chorus “Just wanna talk to you / Wanna talk with my best friend / Wanna let go of everything that I carry”, and has said the song is 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. 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?” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Who won the Mercury Prize 2025? Sam Fender wins top music prize for album People Watching

Sam Fender beat out the likes of Pulp, CMAT, Fontaines D.C., Jacob Alon and more to win the 2025 Mercury Prize.

Culture

3 w. ago Sam Fender’s six best songs, ranked: from The Borders to Will We Talk?

With news that the Geordie artist has won the Mercury Prize, we rank his best songs

Politics

3 w. ago Sam Fender reveals how he plans to celebrate Mercury Prize 2025 win

Sam Fender has won the Mercury Prize 2025 for his third album, People Watching on Thursday (16 October).

Politics

3 w. ago Sam Fender dedicates Mercury Prize 2025 to 'mentor' as singer

Local lad Fender beat competition from Britpop band Pulp, post-punks Fontaines DC and Irish singer CMAT

Politics

3 w. ago Sam Fender didn’t need his Mercury prize win – but he earned it with his incisive social realism

They could have given the award to an album that wasn’t already a huge hit – but Fender’s blend of kitchen-sink drama and stadium choruses is expertly done‘You can expect all the usual excitement,” offered host Lauren Laverne at the start of this year’s Mercury prize ceremony. It’s the kind of thing people hosting awards shows are duty-bound to say, but the use of the word “usual” suggested she was diplomatically overlooking last year’s event, which – through no fault of the album that won, English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas – had all the excitement of a wake.The Mercury had lost its corporate sponsorship, necessitating what host Annie Mac called “an intimate celebration of this year’s shortlist”, in the same way that an estate agent might call a flat with the shower next to the cooker “cosy”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching as shocked star admits he 'did not expect' it

The singer, 31, toom home the presitigous award at the ceremony in Newcastle on Thursday, the first time the ceremony has been held outside London.

Events

3 w. ago Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize with third album People Watching

Rock singer-songwriter won the prestigious music award in a homecoming triumph just a stone’s throw from where he was raised, in North Shields

Politics