Which Sam Fender album was nominated for British Album of the Year in 2026?

Sam Fender’s album nominated for British Album of the Year at the 2026 BRIT Awards was People Watching.

Released on 21 February 2025, People Watching is Fender’s third studio album. It builds on the North Shields singer-songwriter’s reputation for emotionally direct rock songs about ordinary lives, family, grief and working-class communities. The album’s title track was inspired by Annie Orwin, a friend and mentor who died; Fender later dedicated his 2025 Mercury Prize win to her.

The album’s recognition extended well beyond the BRIT nomination. People Watching won the 2025 Mercury Prize, placing Fender among the award’s notable recent British winners and strengthening its status as one of the defining UK records of the period. It also supplied material for Fender’s 2026 BRIT campaign, which included nominations in several categories.

The alternatives are all fellow 2026 Album of the Year nominees, which makes this question especially easy to confuse. The Art of Loving is by Olivia Dean, West End Girl is by Lily Allen, and The Clearing is by Wolf Alice. They belong to the same shortlist, but People Watching is Fender’s entry.