BRITs Critics' Choice Winner Sam Fender: Songs, album and his UK tour dates revealed

23 January 2019, 16:09 | Updated: 16 April 2019, 18:19

Who is Sam Fender the winner of this year's BRITs Critics Choice Award? Does he have an album out? Here’s everything you need to know about this new artist, including how to get tickets to his forthcoming UK tour.

Sam Fender has been announced as the winner of the Critics’ Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2019 with Mastercard - but who is the young 22-year-old from Newcastle, and which songs has he released?

Watch Sam Fender play That Sound in a special Radio X session

Sam Fender said of the award: “Being nominated was crazy enough, never mind winning it. We've played literally hundreds of shows this year, and we're going to go even harder in 2019.”

He joins the likes of Sam Smith, Adele and Florence + The Machine in receiving the award, which is voted for by the music industry’s top influencers.

1. Where is Sam Fender from and what is his age?

   Same was born in North Shields, Tyneside on 25 April 1996. He comes from a talented, musical family and started writing songs when he was 13. He came to the attention of Owain Davies, Ben Howard’s manager, in 2013 and signed to major label Polydor in the summer of 2018.

2. What songs has Sam Fender released?

   Sam’s debut single was Play God in March 2017, which was streamed over a million times on Spotify. Since then, he’s released Greasy Spoon (July 2017), Millennial (September 2017), Start Again (October 2017), Friday Fighting (February 2018); Leave Fast made the Radio X playlist in June 2018.

   
   Sam released Dead Boys in August 2018 - the title track is a moving song about male suicide. It’s also the title of Sam’s first EP from November 2018, which leads off with the Radio X favourite, That Sound and includes the excellently-titled Poundshop Kardashians. There's no Sam Fender album yet - but with this quality set of songs, it shouldn't be long.

3. When are Sam Fender’s next UK tour dates?

   Sam has announced a full UK tour for 2019

   Sam Fender 2019 UK tour dates

   2 May – Ritz, Manchester

   3 May – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow

   6 May – Shepherds Bush Empire, London

   7 May – Shepherds Bush Empire, London

   10 May – The Institute, Birmingham

   12 May – Lemon Grove, Exeter

   13 May – SWX, Bristol

   16 April - Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington

   1 June - All Points East Festival

   28 June - Glastonbury Festival, Somerset

   6 July - Barn on the Farm, Highnam,

   11 July - Tynemouth Castle, Newcastle Upon Time

   12 July - Hyde Park

   13 July - TRNSMT Festival

4. Who has Sam Fender performed with?

   Fender has toured the UK and Europe heavily in 2018, including a support slot on Blossoms’ December 2018 tour and sets at Reading and Leeds, Citadel, Y Not, TRNSMT and Kendal Calling festivals. He’s also toured with Ben Howard, Catfish And The Bottlemen and Hozier.

   

5. Does Sam Fender have any celebrity fans?

   Well, Elton John played Dead Boys on his Beats 1 show in September and his song Play God is on FIFA 19, so Sam has a few admirers around the world…

   Perhaps most excitingly, it turns former Doctor Who Matt Smith is a Fender fan - and Sam met the TV legend at a recent gig… as he told Radio X’s Gordon Smart.