Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sam Fender
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Sam Fender made an impact.
Sam Fender is an English singer-songwriter and musician from North Shields. He gained recognition releasing independent singles from 2017. His music blends American traditional influences with British rock, marked by his tenor voice and Geordie accent. Fender is celebrated for his songwriting and has received five Brit Awards.
2 hours ago : Sam Fender & Olivia Dean's 'Rein Me In' Reigns Supreme on UK Charts!
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's collaborative track, 'Rein Me In,' has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing the number one position on the UK charts for an impressive 12 weeks. This accomplishment highlights the song's popularity and impact on the music scene.
2011: Acting Debut in Vera
In 2011, Sam Fender made his acting debut in the pilot episode of the ITV drama series Vera.
2012: Appearance in Wolfblood
In 2012, Sam Fender appeared in an episode of the fantasy series Wolfblood, which first aired on CBBC.
December 2017: BBC Music Introducing Session
On December 2, 2017, Sam Fender played a BBC Music Introducing session at Maida Vale Studios, gaining exposure.
2017: Singles express lived emotion
In 2017, Byrne argued that Sam Fender distinguished himself as "an artist interested in expressing lived emotion" when releasing his series of singles.
2017: Independent Single Releases
In 2017, Sam Fender began independently releasing several singles. This marked the start of his professional music career.
June 2018: Signing with Polydor Records
In June 2018, Sam Fender signed with Polydor Records, a significant step in his music career.
December 2018: Touring and Recognition
In December 2018, Sam Fender embarked on a headline tour and was selected by Vevo to be a part of its Dscvr 2019 Artists to Watch series.
2018: First Appeared in UK Fashion Magazines
In 2018, Sam Fender first appeared in UK fashion magazines such as F Word and The Last Magazine.
2018: BBC Sound of 2018 & Polydor Signing
In 2018, Sam Fender was named one of the BBC's Sound of 2018. Furthermore, he signed to Polydor Records and released his debut EP, Dead Boys.
January 2019: Band Line-Up Completion and "Play God" Re-release
In January 2019, Sam Fender finalized his band line-up with saxophonist Johnny "Blue Hat" Davis and re-released "Play God".
April 2019: Model for Topman's "Suit Your Self" Campaign
In April 2019, Sam Fender was chosen as a model to front the "Suit Your Self" tailoring campaign for Topman.
August 2019: US Television Debut and Rolling Stone Recognition
In August 2019, Sam Fender performed "Will We Talk?" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, receiving recognition from Rolling Stone as a notable singer-songwriter.
September 2019: Debut Album Release and Chart Success
On 13 September 2019, Sam Fender released his debut studio album, Hypersonic Missiles, which topped the UK Albums Chart and sold 41,000 copies in its first week.
October 2019: North American Tour and Late Night Appearance
In October 2019, Sam Fender embarked on his second North American tour and appeared as the musical guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
December 2019: "All Is on My Side" Release and Album Certification
On 10 December 2019, Sam Fender released "All Is on My Side". By 13 December 2019, Hypersonic Missiles was certified Gold by the BPI for selling over 100,000 units in the UK.
2019: Writing poetry or just writing freeform
In 2019, Sam Fender told Billboard that he was entering a phase of writing lyrics first due to his enjoyment of "just writing poetry or just writing freeform".
2019: Brit Awards & Debut Album
In 2019, Sam Fender won the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards. In addition to this, he released his debut album, Hypersonic Missiles, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
2019: Hypersonic Missiles album sound
In 2019, the album Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender manifested the sound of 1990s Britpop.
April 2020: Performed for Isolation Nation Live and participated in Live Lounge Allstars charity single
In April 2020, Sam Fender performed for Isolation Nation Live on LADbible's Facebook page benefiting the British Red Cross's COVID-19 relief efforts and participated in the Live Lounge Allstars charity single, a rendition of "Times Like These" by Foo Fighters, with proceeds donated to charities.
July 2020: Signed open letter to UK Minister
In July 2020, Sam Fender signed an open letter to Liz Truss, the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, advocating for a ban on all forms of LGBT conversion therapy.
August 2020: Performance at Socially Distanced Venue
In August 2020, Sam Fender was the first act to perform at the world's first socially distanced venue, the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle. He opened the show with "Will We Talk?" and played three unreleased songs.
September 2020: Face of Barbour International and Scotts Menswear campaign
In September 2020, Sam Fender was hired as the "face" of an eighteen-month motorcycle-inspired clothing campaign for British brand Barbour International and retailer Scotts Menswear.
December 2020: Launched Petition for Free Helplines
On December 4, 2020, Sam Fender launched a petition to urge all UK councils to stop phone charges for helplines for vulnerable groups in the North East of England. By December 21, 2020, the petition reached 16,500 signatures, leading six councils to drop phone charges.
September 2021: Contributed a cover of Metallica's "Sad but True"
In September 2021, Sam Fender contributed a cover of Metallica's "Sad but True" for the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, with half of the proceeds going to Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation and the other half to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
October 2021: "Seventeen Going Under" Album Release and Chart Success
On 8 October 2021, Sam Fender released his second album, Seventeen Going Under, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It shifted 44,000 copies in its first week, with 79% being physical sales, outselling the rest of the top 10 albums combined.
November 2021: Lindisfarne Documentary
On 26 November 2021, Sam Fender presented a documentary on the life of Alan Hull, titled Lindisfarne's Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story, which featured contributions from various artists.
December 2021: Rising Stardom and Vinyl Success
In December 2021, The New York Times highlighted Sam Fender as "fast becoming one of Britain's biggest rock acts", while Seventeen Going Under was the eleventh best-selling vinyl album of 2021 in the UK.
December 2021: Volunteered at Newcastle West End Foodbank
On December 19, 2021, Sam Fender went to help out at the Newcastle West End Foodbank after being invited by The Big Issue.
2021: Seventeen Going Under Album
In 2021, Fender's trademark guitar arpeggios are played on the album Seventeen Going Under alongside Thompson and Atkinson, creating "movement" to the main chord progression.
2021: Created Clothing Line with Barbour International
In 2021, Sam Fender created his signature clothing line in partnership with Barbour International and launched it in April of that year via Scotts Menswear.
2021: Expressed Interest in Future Acting Roles
In 2021, Sam Fender expressed interest in the possibility of pursuing acting roles in the future.
January 2022: "Seventeen Going Under" Peaked on UK Singles Chart and Brit Award
In January 2022, "Seventeen Going Under" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. Also in January 2022, after 25 weeks on the chart, Fender received the Brit Award for British Rock/Alternative Act the following month at the 2022 Brit Awards, dedicating the win to the North East Homeless centre.
March 2022: Limited edition turntable signed by Fender released
In March 2022, Rega Research released a limited edition turntable signed by Sam Fender as part of the Record Store Day event, with sale proceeds donated to War Child UK.
May 2022: Performed at Newcastle City Hall to raise money for the North East Homeless centre
On May 24, 2022, Sam Fender performed at Newcastle City Hall to raise money for the North East Homeless centre, raising £133,725 through a ballot ticketing system to enable the centre building renovation.
September 2022: Announces First Headline Stadium Show
On September 2, 2022, Sam Fender announced his first headline stadium show for 2023.
2022: Entered Sunday Times Rich List
In 2022, Sam Fender entered the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time, ranking him 12th on the list of Young music millionaires in the UK.
2022: Brit Award Win
In 2022, Sam Fender won the Brit Award for British Rock/Alternative Act. This recognized his achievements in the music industry.
June 2023: Headlined two shows at St James' Park stadium
On June 9 and 10, 2023, Sam Fender headlined two shows at Newcastle's St James' Park stadium, attended by 100,000 people in total, injecting £15 million into the local economy.
November 2023: Signed Gaza ceasefire letter
In November 2023, Sam Fender signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
January 2024: Featured on Noah Kahan's song "Homesick"
On January 19, 2024, Sam Fender was featured on the song "Homesick" from Noah Kahan's album Stick Season.
October 2024: Announced People Watching Tour
On October 18, 2024, Sam Fender announced his People Watching Tour, with dates across the UK and Europe.
February 2025: Released "People Watching" album
On February 21, 2025, Sam Fender released his third studio album, People Watching, which became his third to chart at number 1 on the UK Albums chart.
June 2025: Collaborated with Olivia Dean on "Rein Me In"
In June 2025, Sam Fender collaborated with English singer Olivia Dean on a new version of his track "Rein Me In". The song was performed live for the first time on June 6 at Fender's sold-out show at London Stadium, with Dean as a supporting act, and was also performed the following week at St. James' Park in Newcastle.
August 2025: Supported Palestine at Denmark concert
In August 2025, at a concert in Denmark, Sam Fender brought out activists, including Greta Thunberg, to voice support for Palestine.
October 2025: Mercury Prize Awarded
In October 2025, Sam Fender was awarded the Mercury Prize for his third studio album, People Watching.
November 2025: Contributed to protest album 'Is This What We Want?'
In November 2025, Sam Fender contributed a silent track to the protest album 'Is This What We Want?', which called on the British government not to legalise music theft for the benefit of AI companies.
November 2025: Released Concert Film for People Watching Tour
In November 2025, Sam Fender released a concert film for the People Watching Tour in partnership with YouTube. The performance was recorded on June 6 at London Stadium.
2025: Donated Mercury Prize winnings to Music Venue Trust
In 2025, following his Mercury Prize win for People Watching, Sam Fender donated his entire £25,000 prize to the Music Venue Trust, which helped support 38 grassroots music venues across the UK.
February 2026: "Rein Me In" became UK number one single
In February 2026, "Rein Me In", Sam Fender's duet with Olivia Dean, became his first UK number one single after 35 consecutive weeks in the UK Top 40.
April 2026: Donated to AutismAble
On April 19, 2026, it was announced that Sam Fender had donated £25,000 from his People Watching Tour to AutismAble, a South Shields-based community interest company serving people with autism and learning difficulties. The donation was matched, providing a total of £50,000 to the organization’s "Future Collaborations" music outreach programme.
2026: First UK Number One Single
In early 2026, Sam Fender achieved his first UK number one single with "Rein Me In", a duet with Olivia Dean. This marked a significant milestone in his career.
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