LONDON, Oct 17 — Rocker Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize for his third album “People Watching” on Thursday, beating the likes of band Pulp and singer FKA Twigs for the British music award.

Loud cheers erupted when the 31-year-old’s name was called out at the ceremony in the northern English city of Newcastle, just a few miles from Fender’s hometown of North Shields.