Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle's Utilita Arena for a second year

For more than three decades the Mercury Prize belonged to London. That changed on 16 October 2025, when the ceremony left the capital for the first time since the award began in 1992 and came to the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.

It proved to be a night the North East will not forget. North Shields singer-songwriter Sam Fender won Album of the Year for People Watching, his third album and his first Mercury win. He had been shortlisted before, in 2022, and this time he beat a field that included Pulp, Wolf Alice, FKA twigs, CMAT and Fontaines D.C.

The judges praised the record's cohesion, character and ambition, describing it as melody-rich and expansive, and saying it "felt like a classic album". Accepting the award, a clearly surprised Fender paid tribute to his late mentor Annie Orwin, the inspiration for the title track, and told the arena that the North East was "the best region in the country".

Nearly all of the shortlisted artists performed on the night, including Pulp, Wolf Alice, Pa Salieu and folk veteran Martin Carthy, who at 84 became the oldest Mercury nominee ever. Fender closed the show.

Then the prize came back. The 2026 Mercury Prize was held at the Utilita Arena on Thursday 22 October, with the show starting at 8pm. The twelve shortlisted albums included RAYE's THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE., Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving, Florence and The Machine's Everybody Scream, Suede's Antidepressants, Paul McCartney's The Boys of Dungeon Lane and JADE's THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!

There was a lovely local flavour too, with Knats shortlisted for an album called A Great Day In Newcastle. Dave, Dove Ellis, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and the War Child Records compilation HELP(2) completed the list.

The arena listed Dove Ellis, Florence and The Machine, JADE, Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives, Olivia Dean, RAYE, Suede and Pulp, representing HELP(2), among the performers, though it noted that touring commitments might keep some from playing live on the night.

Whichever album took the 2026 prize, the return of the Mercury to Tyneside is a vote of confidence in the city as a home for big music moments, and a reminder of just how much talent the region produces.

Details of upcoming concerts and events at the arena are on the Utilita Arena Newcastle website.