Sam Fender’s sales dramatically surge following Mercury Prize win
Following his Mercury Prize win, Sam Fender has seen his chart sales dramatically surge by more than 150 per cent for People Watching.
On October 16th, Fender had a night to remember when his third album, People Watching, was crowned the winner of the prestigious music prize at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
Fender beat strong competition to the award, including from CMAT, Fontaines DC, Pulp, Jacob Alon, PinkPantheress, Pa Salieu, and FKA Twigs.
Now, BPI, the UK record labels association behind the Mercury Prize, reports that Fender’s chart sales for the album have seen an increase of 159 per cent in the wake of his triumphant win. In the Midweek Album Chart, People Watching has risen to 17th from 75th, and the title track is also currently at 58 in the Midweek Singles Chart.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of the BPI, said, “Our congratulations also to Sam Fender and to all the artists for their brilliant Albums of the Year and their memorable performances – it’s wonderful that they are already benefitting from the ‘Mercury Effect’ through all the media coverage and far-reaching engagement across social channels.”
During his emotional acceptance speech, Fender, who looked visibly shocked to win, said, “We are in great company, and I want to say thank you to the person that I never did, to the person that People Watching is about. I want to dedicate it to Annie Orwin.”
The day after his victory, Fender released his new single, ‘Talk To You‘, which features Elton John on piano. It is set to appear on the deluxe edition of the Mercury-winning People Watching on December 5th.
Elton said of appearing on the track, “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.”
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