Sam Fender gave a shoutout to his home of Newcastle as he picked up a BRIT Award last night (March 1). Check out the footage, and his performance, below.
The ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ singer won the award for Best Alternative/Rock Act during yesterday’s ceremony, and thanked his fans who he called “the best in the world”, as well as his band, who he said “without I’m just a mad person shouting at walls.”
Fender also took a moment to pay homage to the north, adding a shoutout to “everybody at home in Newcastle and [North] Shields, love you all.”
Later in the show he performed a rousing rendition of his single, and title track from his latest album, ‘People Watching‘. Check out his speech and performance below.
The album landed the biggest UK opening week for a British act since Harry Styles‘ ‘Harry’s House‘. It also marked his biggest ever opening week, selling more units than 2019’s debut ‘Hypersonic Missiles‘ and 2021’s ‘Seventeen Going Under‘ combined.
He joins only eight other artists who have managed 100,000 UK albums sales in a week this decade – Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Take That, ABBA and Arctic Monkeys. ‘People Watching’ has also become the fastest-selling vinyl album by a British act this century.
In a four-star review of ‘People Watching’, NME wrote: “Reflective, analytical and vulnerable, ‘People Watching’ does exactly what the title may suggest: takes stock of the characters, friends and loved ones who have made Fender the person he is today. He approaches each track with sensitivity as he looks back on his life so far – perhaps even with an inkling of guilt – and contemplates who he may be next.”
In other Sam Fender news, the musician recently teased another new album, saying that he is “desperate” to lean into more of a punk-inspired sound going forward.
During a recent interview on Apple Music 1‘s The Zane Lowe Show, the Geordie songwriter opened up about working with The War On Drugs‘ Adam Granduciel, and reiterated that he is already working on its follow-up.
Fender recently added further dates to his forthcoming UK stadium tour in the summer – including Wythenshawe Park in Manchester, Edinburgh Summer Sessions, and Boucher Road Playing Fields in Belfast. Visit here to buy tickets and find a list of UK tour dates here.