Sam Fender surprised fans by playing a gig with a local cover band, shortly after being nominated for a BRIT Award. It was a return to his musical beginnings for the acclaimed artist.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by how success impacts people’s lives. It was lovely to hear that the incredibly talented, 31-year-old artist – who’s up for four BRIT Awards this Saturday, including the coveted Album of the Year – recently took some time to reconnect with his roots, heading back to his hometown of North Shields last weekend. It’s so grounding for anyone to revisit where they came from, especially with all the excitement surrounding the awards!
Even though Sam was already famous for his own music, he performed covers of other artists’ songs at a charity concert. He played with his dad and brother as part of their band, The Pirates.
I was at the gig at King Street Social in North Shields last Saturday, and it was such a special night. It was all to raise money for Motor Neuron Disease research, remembering Janine Turnbull. She was a true local hero on Tyneside – she helped so many people through the pandemic, and we were all heartbroken when she passed away last year. It felt great to be there supporting such a worthy cause in her memory.
Those in attendance got quite the shock as musician Sam made a surprise appearance on stage.
One concert attendee shared a TikTok video describing how they unexpectedly saw Sam Fender, his brother, and father performing with a cover band at a pub in Shields while out for a drink.
Someone shared a heartwarming moment: Sam Fender performed with his dad and brother on keyboards, all to support a great cause – raising awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (#teamjanine). They described the family as genuinely lovely people!
Someone shared a video of Sam Fender performing on stage at a local club with his dad and brother, calling it “the most wholesome thing ever.”
He’s dominating the music scene right now – poised to win all the BRIT Awards and currently at the top of the charts. Tonight is his night to shine – he’s truly incredible.
Seriously, seeing those clips just killed me! I wasn’t there, and I was so jealous of everyone who was! People were commenting things like ‘What a guy!’ and ‘This is so wholesome!’ – it just made me wish I could have been a part of it all. I’m completely obsessed, honestly!
I think I’m falling for Fender’s dad! He deserves every award he was up for – he’s a true legend.
It was wonderful to see all three sons performing together! They definitely inherited their musical talent from their father, Alan. Sam seemed particularly proud and happy to be on stage. All of the band members gave fantastic performances, and it was all for a great cause.
This is really heartwarming to see. He’s letting other talented people have their moment instead of overshadowing them, while still being supportive. Go Sam, show everyone what you’ve got at the Brits! His voice is incredible – seriously impressive. It’s great how down-to-earth Sam is and how he’s handling all of this.
It was wonderful to see him succeed and simply be himself again, a local guy. There wasn’t a hint of jealousy – not even a little. He’s truly one of the most genuine and relatable artists out there.
Sam might have a successful night at the BRIT Awards on Saturday, which are being held in Manchester this year.
The artist behind “Hypersonic Missiles” is a leading nominee at Saturday’s awards ceremony, with four nominations including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (for “Rein Me In,” a collaboration with Olivia Dean), Alternative Rock Act, and Album of the Year.
Oh my gosh, I’m SO ready for the BRIT Awards! It’s happening at the brand new Co-op Live Arena in Manchester this Saturday, and honestly, it feels like this year is ALL about the women! I just know female artists are going to dominate – it’s like they’re finally taking center stage, and I cannot WAIT to see it happen. It’s going to be epic!
After getting rid of separate awards for male and female artists, the ceremony has received criticism for not nominating enough women. This was especially noticeable in 2023, when all the nominees for Artist of the Year were men.
Oh my gosh, 2026 is going to be AMAZING! Seriously, it’s like everything is finally shifting because a whopping 70% of the nominees next year will be women or non-binary people! I’m absolutely losing it – it’s about time we saw some real representation! I can’t wait!
Lola Young and Olivia Dean are the frontrunners for the awards, each receiving five nominations. Lily Allen is also a strong contender with three nominations, recognized for her successful return and her album, West End Girl.
The 40-year-old singer details the breakdown of her marriage to David Harbour, from Stranger Things, on her new album, including claims of infidelity during their relationship.
At the awards ceremony, she’s nominated for Artist of the Year alongside Young and Dean. She’s also in the running for Album of the Year and Pop Artist of the Year.
Twenty-four-year-old Lola is nominated for both Breakthrough Artist and Alternative/Rock Act, but it’s unclear if she plans to be at the awards ceremony.
Olivia, age 26, achieved a rare feat in 2025: she was the first female artist since Adele in 2021 to simultaneously top the UK charts with both a single (“Man I Need”) and an album (“The Art Of Loving”).
She has been nominated in five categories and will be performing at the Award ceremony.
British icons Pulp have received their first nomination for Group of the Year since 1996.
This year’s nominations include strong representation from Hollywood, with the Netflix K-Pop group HUNTR/X receiving a nomination for International Song of the Year for their song ‘Golden’ and also being considered for International Group of the Year.
Cynthia Erivo received her first nomination for Song of the Year with Mastercard for her performance of “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked.
Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and Chappell Roan are also nominated for awards, joining other international artists.
For over a decade, the BRIT Awards have taken place each year at London’s O2 Arena. However, the Daily Mail reports that this year’s event, considered the most important night for British music, will be held in Manchester. Organizers are also planning to move the show to different cities around the UK in the years to come.
Jack Whitehall is back to host the awards show for the sixth time. He’s hosted before in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.
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2026-02-28 15:04